<p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) to bombard with electrical current, radiation, laser beams, etc.: The military has unsuccessfully tried using airborne lasers to zap missiles early in their flight.</li><li>to attack, defeat, kill, or destroy with sudden speed and force: Late frost can zap tender fruit buds.</li><li>to cook or heat in a microwave oven: This coffee is almost cold—could you zap it for 30 seconds?</li><li>to shoot or send rapidly: If you're in the neighborhood, zap me a text and come by!</li><li>to skip over or delete (commercials on TV or radio) in recording or playing back a program: Digital recorders able to zap commercials made things harder for the advertising industry.</li><li>(used without object) to move quickly, forcefully, or destructively: Thoughts are like electric currents zapping through your mind.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a jolt or charge of or as if of electricity: A wire shorted out and he got a zap from his microphone.</li><li>an act or period of microwaving: We sell prepackaged foods that require only a zap in the microwave to make them table-ready.</li><li>a forceful and sudden blow, hit, or attack: This game character can kill minions and goblins with a zap even after he dies.</li><li>any method of political activism, usually of a disruptive nature: A gay rights group organized a zap of the restaurant to push for removal of its offensive sign.</li><li>force, energy, or drive; zip: Their stew is a bit dull, but the steak chili soup packs much more zap and one heck of a lot of meat.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb Phrase</strong></p><ul><li>to add a sudden infusion of energy, verve, color, attractiveness, or the like: This bright skirt is just the thing to zap up your spring wardrobe.</li></ul>