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

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

Indiana receives pups from non-Hoosier woodrats from these zoos, Bordenkecher said, and that will hopefully help the population avoid any genetic bottlenecks. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Oct. 2025

Enjoy zoo animals, arts and crafts, circus performers, balloon animals and inflatables. —Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025

Crandon Park Zoo The original zoo opened in 1948 and moved to South Miami-Dade in 1980 as Metrozoo and then Zoo Miami. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025

In August, the zoo said Denny's older brother, 30-year-old Maka, had died after a cardiac event, according to the station. —Dennis Romero, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025

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