1. To create a compressed archive (a "zIP file") from one or more files using PKWare' s PKZIP or a compatible archiver. Its use is spreading from MS-DOS now that portable implementations of the algorithm have been written. zIP is also the name of a Unix archiving utility compatible with PKZIP. unzIP is the corresponding de-archiver. See also gzIP, tar and feather. 2. ZIP Drive. [Jargon File] (1996-08-26)