zo
zo — noun
1. an informal word for zoo: a place where people go to watch wild animals that liv
an informal word for zoo: a place where people go to watch wild animals that live in large enclosures.
Eliska took her nephew to the zo last Saturday to see the new elephant.
informal shortening of 'zoo'
Min's school booked a trip to the zo for all the Year 4 children.
British informal usage: 'the zo'
The zo near Rodrigo's flat has a big glass house for tropical birds.
Aarav told his little sister they would see lions at the zo the next day.
We spent all afternoon at the zo and still missed the penguin feeding.
- zoo
the standard term; 'zo' is its informal clipped version
- animal park
a larger, more open alternative to a traditional zoo
- wildlife park
emphasises natural habitats over cages; less common in everyday speech
用法筆記
Informal shortening of 'zoo'. Common in British English speech and casual writing; much rarer in American English.
2. a place or situation that is very loud, crowded, and out of control, like a zoo
a place or situation that is very loud, crowded, and out of control, like a zoo full of noisy animals.
The airport on Christmas Eve was a complete zo — shouting, queues, lost bags everywhere.
metaphorical use: 'a complete zo'
Rodrigo's birthday party turned into a zo when thirty kids arrived at once.
The market was such a zo that Ada lost her friends in the crowd.
Nala tried to work but the office became a zo after the merger news.
"This is an absolute zo," Chiamaka whispered as her relatives argued over the inheritance.
用法筆記
Metaphorical extension of sense 1. Usually preceded by 'a' and often paired with intensifiers like 'complete', 'total', or 'such a'. Common in informal spoken British English.