Definition

A place where animals are kept for people to see, often in a park-like setting.

Example

We visited the zoo to see the lions and elephants.

Conversation

Have you been to the new zoo downtown yet?

Not yet, but I heard it's really nice and has a lot of animals.

We should plan a visit this weekend to check out the zoo.

That sounds like a great idea! I love seeing all the different animals.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Zoo → The word 'zoo' is a shortened form of 'zoological garden', where 'zoo-' comes from 'zoology' (from Greek 'zōion', meaning animal) and '-logical' (from Greek 'logia', meaning study). Thus, 'zoo' refers to a place where animals are studied or displayed.

Memory Tip

Think of 'zoo' as a place where you can see and learn about 'animals' ('zōion') — that's why it's called a zoo.

Visually Confused Words