Adjacent Words

ZIP code definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a code of letters and digits added to a postal address to aid in the sorting of mail [syn: ZIP code, ZIP, postcode, postal code]

Merriam Webster's

noun Usage: often capitalized Z&I&P Etymology: zone improvement plan Date: 1963 1. a number that identifies each postal delivery area in the United States 2. the geographic area identified by a zip code

Britannica Concise

System of postal-zone codes (zip stands for "zone improvement plan") introduced in the U.S. in 1963 to improve mail delivery and exploit electronic reading and sorting capabilities. The original code, which corresponds to the postal codes used in most countries in the world, consists of five numbers. The first three identify the state and portion of the state, the last two a specific post office or zone. In 1983 a nine-digit code (created by adding a hyphen and four digits) was introduced to further speed delivery; the first two added digits specify a particular "sector," the last two an even smaller "segment" (e.g., one side of a city block, or a single floor in a large building).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. US a system of postal codes consisting of five-digit numbers. Etymology: zone improvement plan

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(zip codes) Your zip code is a short sequence of letters and numbers at the end of your address, which helps the post office to sort the mail. (AM; in BRIT, use postcode) N-COUNT