slide fastener
- noun
- /slaɪd ˈfæstənər/
- Specialized
- The jacket features a durable slide fastener that makes it easy to put on and take off.
Examples
-
And let's not forget the most scandalous invention of all-- the talon-slide fastener, otherwise known as the zipper, which provides every man and boy speedy access to moral oblivion.
-
I replaced the broken slide fastener on my backpack to ensure it securely closes.
-
This suitcase is designed with a high-quality slide fastener to keep your belongings safe.
Synonyms
A thing that closes clothes or bags by joining two rows of teeth with a sliding piece
A row of teeth that join when a sliding tab closes clothes or bags
A person who locks things closed
A thing that closes clothes or bags by joining two rows of teeth with a sliding tab
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a fastening device with a sliding piece' is directly and compositionally derived from 'slide' (to glide/slide) + 'fastener' (a device that fastens); it denotes a fastener that operates by sliding its parts together. This descriptive noun–noun/verb-derived compound follows regular English formation and is easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Slide fastener is a name that tells you what it does: a fastener (something that holds edges together) with a small part that slides along two rows of teeth to lock them. Imagine the small slider moving and pulling the teeth together, so the name means the device we now call a 'zipper'.