noun / verb

zoom

ZOOM/zuːm/

A change in magnification that makes a subject appear closer or farther away.

The camera zooms in on a small bird perched far away.

A telephoto camera shows a large close-up of the same small bird visible far away on a branch, making the closer-view sense of zoom concrete.

Etymology

Zoom began as an imitation of a low buzz or hum and came to describe rapid movement in aviation. The camera sense evokes that motion: changing magnification makes the view seem to rush toward the subject.

In context

National Academies - Earth and Life Studies55:36

move down from our bird's eye view to what I like to refer to as the Google street view of RNA modifications where we zoom in on one modification at a time

DAY 1: Toward Sequencing and Mapping of RNA Modifications: A Workshop

More examples

The camera has a powerful optical zoom.
We zoomed out to include the whole building.
He is zooming closer to the distant bird.

Forms

zoom · zooms · zoomed · zooming

Similar words

magnify: Increases apparent size without implying an adjustable camera view.
enlarge: Enlarge can change an object's actual size rather than its apparent size in a view.