zoo

¹

[zoo]

noun

plural

zoos 

1. Also called zoological garden. a parklike area in which live animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public exhibition.

2. Informal.,  a place, activity, or group marked by chaos or unrestrained behavior.

zoo-

²

1. a combining form meaning “living being,” “animal,” used in the formation of compound words.

   zoometry; zooplankton.

zoo-

¹

combining form

1. indicating animals

   zooplankton

zoo

²

/ zuː /

noun

1. Formal term: zoological garden. a place where live animals are kept, studied, bred, and exhibited to the public

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoo¹

First recorded in 1840–50; first two syllables of zoological garden taken as one syllable

Origin of zoo²

Combining form representing Greek zôion animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoo¹

from Greek zōion animal

Origin of zoo²

C19: shortened from zoological gardens (originally applied to those in London)

Idioms and Phrases

see it's a zoo.

Example Sentences

The spokesperson said: "ZSL, whose income is partially generated by visitors to its zoos, has seen the impact of decreased consumer confidence on visitor behaviour, with guests spending less this summer."

From BBC

The impasse affects the of funding government operations through October and beyond and is poised to cause widespread disruption for Americans in areas ranging from air travel to zoo visits.

From BBC

In the meantime, the zoo shared photos of the new cute fuzzy primates.

From Los Angeles Times

Shankar, the lone African elephant at Delhi's zoo who spent much of his life in isolation, refused food on Wednesday and collapsed by evening.

From BBC

On Monday, it said it had found "no foul play" in the zoo's management.

From BBC

Related Words

• circus 

When To Use

What does zoo- mean?

The combining form zoo- is used like a prefix meaning “living being” or "animal." It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.The form zoo- comes from Greek zôion, meaning “animal.”What are variants of zoo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, zoo- becomes zo-, as in zooid.When combined as a suffix, zoo- becomes -zoa or -zoon, as in protozoa or ectozoon. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for zo-, -zoa, and -zoon.