zoo

noun

\ ˈzü

plural zoos

Definition of zoo

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

— called also zooological garden, zoological park

2 : a place, situation, or group marked by crowding, confusion, or unrestrained behavior The convention was a zoo.

zoo-

combining form

Definition of zoo- (Entry 2 of 2)

— see zo-

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about zoo

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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

Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images A rare black rhinoceros calf, born on Dec. 9, is seen with his mother Maisha at a zoo in the Czech city of Dvur Kralove nad Labem. — WSJ, "Photos of the Week," 4 Jan. 2019 But then came the mandarin duck, a rare species that likely escaped from a home zoo and made its way to Central Park, capturing hearts and minds—first of the city, then the nation. — The Editors, Marie Claire, "Marie Claire Editors Tell You Their Favorite Things You Probably Missed in 2018," 31 Dec. 2018 Officials quarantine animals imported for the exposition to start a zoo. — Merrie Monteagudo, sandiegouniontribune.com, "History in headlines," 15 Apr. 2018 Offices, department stores, zoos and other public spaces on both sides of the Atlantic have stopped selling bottled water. — Saabira Chaudhuri, WSJ, "Plastic Water Bottles, Which Enabled a Drinks Boom, Now Threaten a Crisis," 12 Dec. 2018 Light events through the season include Woodland Park Zoo WildLights, light sculptures of wild animals and wild places in two and three dimensions along the zoo’s pathways and North Meadow. — Madeline Mckenzie, The Seattle Times, "Holiday sights light up the night at Green Lake, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle and Tacoma zoos," 5 Dec. 2018 The Zoological Society London is working with Google Cloud and the San Diego Zoo, using the zoo’s huge archives of images. — Helena Pozniak, Popular Mechanics, "The Technology That Will Finally Stop Poachers," 26 Nov. 2018 Where else can kids visit a new Revolutionary War museum, splash in a historic fountain, and gush over animals at our country’s oldest zoo? — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The best things to do with kids in 13 U.S. cities," 20 Nov. 2018 Zoo Atlanta isn't the only zoo boasting an adorable sloth exhibit. — Suzannah Weiss, Teen Vogue, "Baby Sloth Born at Zoo Atlanta," 8 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zoo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.