What is the etymology of 'Zoo'?

Meaning: "From a mere vulgarism, this corruption has passed into wide colloquial use" [Century Dictionary]. Slang meaning "crowded… See more definitions. read more

The abbreviation "zoo" is short for "zoological garden" (cf. botanical garden). "Zoo" was first used in English with reference to the London Zoological Garden. The abbreviation first appeared in print in 1847 and was popularized twenty years later in a song by Alfred Vance. read more

A zoo (short for zoological garden or zoological park and also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which all animals are housed within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also breed. read more

Zoo definition is - a facility with usually indoor and outdoor settings where living, typically wild animals are kept especially for public exhibition —called also zooological garden, zoological park. read more