zip code

1 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly ZIP code

plural zip codes also ZIP codes

1

: a number that identifies a particular postal delivery area in the U.S.

2

: the geographic area identified by a zip code

zip-code

2 of 2

verb

ˈzip-ˌkōd 

zip-coded; zip-coding; zip-codes

transitive verb

: to furnish with a zip code

Examples of zip code in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Taylor Swift is on this list three separate times, Jacob Elordi appears to be powering at least 30 percent of the city’s downtown sightings on his own, and the West Village/Meatpacking/SoHo/Tribeca corridor remains the only zip code that matters. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026

Once connected, enter in a ZIP code to be transferred to that county’s agency. —Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026

Verb

Endless waiting lists, a shortage of local specialists, and zip-code lotteries can leave families waiting for extended periods, even when neurodivergent flags fly high. —K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2026

Health coverage should not be a zip-code lottery. —Jesse Jackson Jr, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

zone improvement plan

First Known Use

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for zip code

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad

Kids Definition

zip code

noun

: a number that identifies each postal delivery area in the U.S.