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 of zoo

Noun

• commotion
• disturbance
• hurry
• stir
• racket
• fun
• turmoil
• fuss
• to-do
• noise
• storm
• hurricane
• pandemonium

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

The signal’s efficacy also fades over time, meaning that a single long outing to the zoo or park may be less beneficial than multiple outdoor jaunts of at least 30 minutes each. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Zoo Atlanta, after a 12-year campaign, convinced China to lend the zoo Lun Lun and Yang Yang in 1999, committing $10 million over 10 years to China’s conservation efforts and building a $7 million living space for the two young pandas. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026

The zoo cited a 2025 population survey estimating about 600 Bali mynas living in the wild. — CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

The zoo is free during the day, but this evening event, held from late November to early January, is ticketed. — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026

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

Rhymes for zoo

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

zoo

noun

ˈzü 

plural zoos

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