zoo
zoo — noun
1. a large space where people go to see different kinds of wild creatures kept in e
a large space where people go to see different kinds of wild creatures kept in enclosures
On Saturday, Vikram's class went to the city zoo to see the new baby bear.
go to the zoo: visit as a group activity
The zoo keeper gives the lions their food at four o'clock every day.
zoo keeper: person who looks after the animals
Jisoo loves to watch the monkeys climb and play in their zoo home.
The new baby panda at the Taipei Zoo has brought many visitors.
Our class trip to the zoo was fun — we saw monkeys, elephants, and birds.
- animal park
usually larger than a zoo, with more space for animals to roam in natural-looking settings
- wildlife park
focuses on showing animals in habitats that look like their natural environment
- safari park
a large park where visitors drive through and see animals moving freely
2. a place or situation that is very noisy and crowded, with no sense of order or c
a place or situation that is very noisy and crowded, with no sense of order or control
The train station was a zoo on Friday evening, with people pushing everywhere.
a complete zoo: emphasises total chaos
The shop was a zoo during the big sale, with people grabbing things off the shelves.
The office was a zoo this morning because three staff members called in sick.
Rachid says his kitchen is a zoo each morning when four children all want breakfast at once.
用法筆記
This sense always needs the indefinite article 'a' before it: 'a zoo'. It is most common in informal spoken English and in casual writing. You cannot say 'this place is zoo' — the article is required.
常見錯誤
zoo — combining form
1. relating to animals or the scientific study of the animal kingdom; appears at th
relating to animals or the scientific study of the animal kingdom; appears at the start of words like 'zoology' and 'zoologist'
A zoologist is a scientist who studies animals and how they live.
zoologist: a scientist who studies animals
Zoology is the branch of science that looks at how animals live, grow, and behave.
Élise decided to study zoology at university because she has always loved animals.
The zoo in our city works with zoologists to help protect rare birds.
Amihan wants to become a zoologist so she can travel and study wild animals.
用法筆記
The combining form 'zo-' (or 'zoo-' before a vowel) appears in scientific and academic words. It never stands alone — it must be attached to another word part.
2. relating to the ability to move or the process of movement; found in scientific
relating to the ability to move or the process of movement; found in scientific terms such as 'protozoa' and 'spermatozoa'
Some tiny living things, called protozoa, can move on their own in water.
protozoa: single-celled organisms able to move
Doctors check if a man's sperm cells are motile to see if he can have children.
Some germs can move through water to reach food or warmth.
Under a microscope you can see motile cells from a small drop of pond water.
用法筆記
This sense appears mainly in biology and medicine. The word 'motile' is the adjective form describing something that can move independently.