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 zoo-¹

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

Origin of zoo-²

Combining form representing Greek zôion animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoo-¹

from Greek zōion animal

Origin of zoo-²

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

Idioms and Phrases

see it's a zoo.

Example Sentences

“I can watch the tourists go by my front yard, be a zoo animal, read Willie Morris, sip a faux bourbon—in my case a Diet Coke—with some mint leaves,” he said.

Read more on MarketWatch

In 2024 some 17 million people visited its zoo and museums.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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."

Read more on 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.

Read more on BBC

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

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.