zoo-

zoo-

(word root) living being, animal

Examples of words with the root zoo-: zoometry, zoological

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

zoo-

or zo-

pref.

1. Animal; animal kingdom: zoography.

2. Motile: zoospore.

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[Greek zōo-, zōio-, from zōion, living being; see g^wei- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

zoo-

or before a vowel

zo-

combining form

(Zoology) indicating animals: zooplankton.

[from Greek zōion animal]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

zoo

(zu)

n., pl. zoos.

1. Also called zoological garden. a parklike area in which live animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public exhibition.

2. a place, activity, or group marked by chaos or unrestrained behavior.

[1840–50; first two syllables of zoological garden taken as one syllable]

zoo′ey, adj. zoo•i•er, zoo•i•est.

zoo-

a combining form meaning “living being,” “animal”: zooplankton. Also, esp. before a vowel,zo-.

[comb. form representing Greek zôion animal]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.