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
• fun
• racket
• turmoil
• 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

Shera had previously been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease affecting joint cartilage and the underlying bone that causes pain and stiffness, the zoo said. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Conservation and breeding efforts shuffled three giraffes around Colorado zoos this year — one returning home to Denver after months away, another joining the Denver herd and a third finding a new home in Colorado Springs, according to zoo officials. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 8 May 2026

Albuquerque’s green spaces range from ABQ BioPark along the Rio Grande River with its zoo, botanic garden and aquarium, to Sandia Peak in Cibola National Forest, reached via the longest aerial tram in the western hemisphere. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026

Ramona Bass, chair of the Fort Worth Zoological Association Board of Directors, said the zoo’s goal is to help Asian elephants thrive for generations to come. —Harriet Ramos may 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 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