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Showing results for zookeeper. Search instead for zoo keeper.
Synonyms

zookeeper

American  
[zoo-kee-per] / ˈzuˌki pər /

noun

  • zookeepers
    plural
  1. a person who feeds and tends animals in a zoo.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of zookeeper

First recorded in 1920–25; zoo + keeper

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.

See Examples For:

"It's clear who won!" one zookeeper exclaimed excitedly.

From Barron's Jun. 6, 2026

“It’s not as messy as ‘Tiger King’ was,” said Josh Webb, a zookeeper there from April to November of 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 2, 2026

Everything begins to change for Camille when a new zookeeper, Sailor, arrives on the island.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 8, 2025

“She’s become a bit of a national treasure,” one zookeeper said.

From Salon Jul. 13, 2025

Maniac had at last gone to tell someone, the zookeeper, and from then on he pretty much stayed out of the way.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

Back then, zookeepers didn’t have the benefit of drones or trail cameras.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

The zoo previously said Punch initially struggled to bond with the other monkeys, with only the toy and zookeepers providing him company after he was abandoned by his mother.

From BBC May 18, 2026

They invited over 30 experts from around the world who cared about caribou—including Indigenous peoples, academics, zookeepers, and reindeer experts from Finland—to independently review the evidence for each assumption.

From Slate Apr. 28, 2026

Once veterinarians give the 11-pound male fox a clean bill of health, zookeepers said they would be looking for a long-term home for the animal, which is said to be doing well.

From Barron's Mar. 13, 2026

They thereby injure even more American zookeepers each year than do tigers!

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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