Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A park or an institution in which living animals are kept and usually exhibited to the public.
  • noun Slang A place or situation marked by confusion or disorder.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A park where live animals are exhibited.
  • noun figuratively Any place that is wild, crowded, or chaotic.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Short for zoological garden.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Shortened form of zoological garden, and now the usual form. See zoology.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Overheard-on-internet joke:
    A man goes to a zoo. He walks around all the enclosures and they're empty. The only animal there is a dog. It's a shitzu.

    February 12, 2016

  • Are you here all week Bilby? Should I try the shrimp?

    February 15, 2016

  • And then that too disappeared. A doggone shame.

    February 15, 2016

  • I did say it was an internet joke.

    February 15, 2016