zoo

1 of 2

noun

ˈzü 

plural zoos

1

: a facility with usually indoor and outdoor settings where living, typically wild animals are kept especially for public exhibition

called also zoological garden, zoological park

2

: a place, situation, or group marked by crowding, confusion, or unrestrained behavior

The convention was a zoo.

zoo-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or before a vowel zo-

1

: animal : animal kingdom or kind

zooid

zoology

2

: motile

zoospore

Synonyms

Noun

• ado
• alarums and excursions
• ballyhoo
• blather
• bluster
• bobbery
• bother
• bustle
• clatter
• clutter [chiefly dialect]
• coil
• commotion
• corroboree [Australian]
• disturbance
• do [chiefly dialect]
• foofaraw
• fun
• furor
• furore
• fuss
• helter-skelter
• hoo-ha
• hoo-hah
• hoopla
• hubble-bubble
• hubbub
• hullabaloo
• hurly
• hurly-burly
• hurricane
• hurry
• hurry-scurry
• hurry-skurry
• kerfuffle [chiefly British]
• moil
• pandemonium
• pother
• row
• ruckus
• ruction
• rumpus
• shindy
• splore [Scottish]
• squall
• stew
• stir
• storm
• to-do
• tumult
• turmoil
• uproar
• welter
• whirl
• williwaw

Examples of zoo in a Sentence

Noun

The sixth grade classroom was a zoo after recess.

The supermarket was a real zoo on the night before the storm.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Guests are invited to gather at the historic Amphitheatre to witness the darkness of the eclipse and the sounds of the zoo. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 8 at the Toledo Zoo, 2 Hippo Way in Toledo, Ohio. —Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024

Jameela arrived safely at her new home in late March, the zoo announced March 28. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024

The zoo’s owner says Tadori has been lonely since his mate died. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024

After the ostrich left the park, the zoo contacted firefighters and police for help wrangling the bird. —Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024

Strep zoo respiratory disease attacks lung function, often causing the organ to bleed and fluid to collect in the surrounding areas, the study said. —The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024

Children under 2 as well as zoo members get in free. —Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024

Not long after, another female chimp with even more intractable health problems gave birth at the zoo. —Alex Traub, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

This year features a scavenger hunt in the zoo’s Great Meadow from 10 a.m. to noon, with 15 stations introducing children to scientists and resident animals. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for zoological garden

Combining form

borrowed from Greek zōo-, zōio-, combining form from zôion "animal," derivative from the base of zṓō, zṓein (Homeric), zô, zên (Attic) "to be alive, live," going back to Indo-European *g^wi̯éh₃-(u)- "live" (whence also Tocharian B śāyau "[I] live"), full grade of a stem attested elsewhere with zero grade as *g^wih₃-u-, whence Latin vīvō, vīvere "to live," Old Church Slavic živǫ, žiti, Old Prussian giwa "(s/he) lives," Latvian dzīvu "(I) live," Sanskrit jīvati "(s/he) lives," Avestan juuaiti

Note: See also bio-, quick entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing zoo

• petting zoo

Kids Definition

zoo

noun

ˈzü 

plural zoos

: a garden or park where living usually wild animals are kept for showing to the public