plural zoos
1
: a facility with usually indoor and outdoor settings where living, typically wild animals are kept especially for public exhibition
called also zoological garden, zoological park
2
: a place, situation, or group marked by crowding, confusion, or unrestrained behavior
The convention was a zoo.
variants
or before a vowel zo-
1
: animal : animal kingdom or kind
zooid
zoology
2
: motile
zoospore
Examples of zoo in a Sentence
Noun
The sixth grade classroom was a zoo after recess.
The supermarket was a real zoo on the night before the storm.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Fun places to spend the day in Naples include the Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, a nonprofit, nationally accredited zoo with interesting and rare animals living among the tropical plants, and the Naples Botanic Garden.
—Amy Bentley, Oc Register, 23 July 2025
Thanks to years of specialized care, including a delicate palate reconstruction surgery, Aubergine has been thriving with the help of Zoo Miami’s Animal Health team, according to zoo communication director Ron Magill., a renowned wildlife photographer who documented the procedure.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 19 July 2025
Traveling to the zoo?: What to know about Indiana's zoos in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Michigan City, South Bend, Lafayette and Evansville.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for zoo
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The Boardwalk at Hersheypark is a water park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is part of the larger Hersheypark complex, which includes a zoo and an amusement park.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Fun places to spend the day in Naples include the Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, a nonprofit, nationally accredited zoo with interesting and rare animals living among the tropical plants, and the Naples Botanic Garden.
—Amy Bentley, Oc Register, 23 July 2025
Thanks to years of specialized care, including a delicate palate reconstruction surgery, Aubergine has been thriving with the help of Zoo Miami’s Animal Health team, according to zoo communication director Ron Magill., a renowned wildlife photographer who documented the procedure.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 19 July 2025
Traveling to the zoo?: What to know about Indiana's zoos in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Michigan City, South Bend, Lafayette and Evansville.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for zoo
Cite this Entry
“Zoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zoo. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
zoo
noun
plural zoos
: a garden or park where living usually wild animals are kept for showing to the public
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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