hoop

[ hoop, hoo p ]

/ hup, hʊp /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hoop ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a circular band or ring of metal, wood, or other stiff material.

such a band for holding together the staves of a cask, tub, etc.

a large ring of iron, wood, plastic, etc., used as a plaything for a child to roll along the ground.

a circular or ringlike object, part, figure, etc.

the shank of a finger ring.

Croquet. a wicket.

a circular band of stiff material used to expand and display a woman's skirt.

hoop skirt.

Basketball Informal.

the metal ring from which the net is suspended; rim.
the metal ring and net taken together; the basket.
the game of basketball.

a decorative band, as around a mug or cup.

hoop iron.

verb (used with object)

to bind or fasten with or as if with a hoop or hoops.

to encircle; surround.

Nearby words

hoolie, hooligan, hooliganism, hooly, hoon, hoop, hoop back, hoop iron, hoop pine, hoop skirt, hoop snake

Origin of hoop

1125–75; Middle English hope, hoop, late Old English hōp; cognate with Dutch hoep

Related forms

hoop·less, adjectivehoop·like, adjectiveun·hooped, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hoop

Hoop skirts of the Civil War era relaxed into flowing, streamlined gowns.
The Best-Dressed Way to Say Goodbye|Justin Jones|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Directed by fellow Chicagoan Steve James ( Hoop Dreams), Life Itself is a worthy tribute to the most popular film critic ever.
My Friend, Roger Ebert: Pulitzer Prize Winner Tom Shales on the Moving Documentary ‘Life Itself’|Tom Shales|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She sits polished in a hip yet age-appropriate (age-defying, really, for 76 ) leather jacket, and hoop earrings.
Marlo Thomas Says Girls Should Feel Free to Be Like Hannah Horvath|Emily Shire|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the second hoop is the profession, then industry, then finally society at large.
Following Tuberculosis From Death Sentence to Cure|Tessa Miller|April 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel first championed my film, Hoop Dreams, which was essential to its success.
‘Life Itself’: An Open Letter From Filmmaker Steve James About His Roger Ebert Documentary|Steve James|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was not quite as old as the others, and he could not manage a hoop.
All About Johnnie Jones|Carolyn Verhoeff
Note the lady's hoop skirt and the bearded officer to whom she is speaking.
The Greatest Highway in the World|Anonymous
Beaver are split but stretched round and should be left in the hoop or stretcher for several days.
Fur Farming|A. R. Harding
The lady of the house waited with anger in her eyes for the appearance of the hoop's owner.
Jokes For All Occasions|Anonymous
It would need a hoop of steel to keep them near such a dismal old sawmonger.
Pipefuls|Christopher Morley

British Dictionary definitions for hoop (1 of 2)

hoop

/ (huːp) /

noun

a rigid circular band of metal or wood

something resembling this

a band of iron that holds the staves of a barrel or cask together
(as modifier)hoop iron

a child's toy shaped like a hoop and rolled on the ground or whirled around the body

croquet any of the iron arches through which the ball is driven

a light curved frame to spread out a skirt
(as modifier)a hoop skirt; a hoop petticoat

basketball the round metal frame to which the net is attached to form the basket

a large ring through which performers or animals jump

jewellery

an earring consisting of one or more circles of metal, plastic, etc
the part of a finger ring through which the finger fits

Australian informal a jockey

go through the hoop or be put through the hoop to be subjected to an ordeal

verb

(tr) to surround with or as if with a hoop

Derived Forms

hooped, adjectivehooplike, adjective

Word Origin for hoop

Old English hōp; related to Dutch hoep, Old Norse hōp bay, Lithuanian kabẽ hook

British Dictionary definitions for hoop (2 of 2)

hoop

/ (huːp) /

noun, verb

a variant spelling of whoop

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with hoop

hoop

see jump through hoops.