Hula-Hoop

American

[hoo-luh-hoop] / ˈhu ləˌhup /

Trademark.

a brand name for a tubular plastic hoop, about 4 feet (1.2 meters) in diameter, for rotating about the body by swinging the hips, used for physical exercise or in children's play: introduced in the 1950s.

Hula Hoop British

noun

a light hoop that is whirled around the body by movements of the waist and hips

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Palms suck down water like camels, but give back barely enough leafiness to shade a Hula-Hoop.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

Hula-Hoop Girl, which was discovered in Nottingham, will be exhibited at The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket from Saturday.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2023

As I sat at this table, I taught kids how to Hula-Hoop, how to spin a top, and how to draw different animals.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2019

A heavier hoop—and a larger hoop—takes longer to make a revolution around your waist, which makes them easier to “hoop” than a typical toy-store Hula-Hoop.

From National Geographic Kids • Jul. 11, 2016

Naano doesn’t like bending to the ground anymore, which is why I can’t imagine her being a Hula-Hoop champ of any kind.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023