hoop

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
: a circular strip used especially for holding together the staves of containers or as a plaything
2
a
: a circular figure or object : ring
b
: the rim of a basketball goal
broadly : the entire goal
3
: a circle or series of circles of flexible material used to expand a woman's skirt
4
: basketball
usually used in plural
hooplike
ˈhüp-ˌlīk How to pronounce hoop (audio)
 also  ˈhu̇p
adjective

hoop

2 of 2

verb

hooped; hooping; hoops

transitive verb

: to bind or fasten with or as if with a hoop
hooper noun

Examples of hoop in a Sentence

Noun made Christmas garlands from hoops of red and green construction paper
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But thanks to Aaron Gordon being everywhere and Jokic’s hoops IQ, the latter didn’t pick up another foul the rest of the first half as the Nuggets hung around. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2024 Finish your look with a pair of gold or silver hoops and be on your way! Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 25 Apr. 2024 But the hoops star was also at the top of another year-end list NBA players don’t want to find themselves on this week. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024 Four cable-tie hoops beside that removable filter panel are designed to help users run their peripheral cables cleanly down the back of the case from the top panel. PCMAG, 21 Apr. 2024 Though trailblazers like Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes spent years elevating the sport—paving the way for more recent standout players such as Maya Moore, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi—interest in women's hoops, particularly at the collegiate level, has exploded over the past year. Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2024 Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals, having just gotten into hoops, probably. Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024 Despite 35 appearances at the Big Dance and hailing from the huge hoops state of Indiana, where Indiana University has two national titles and Butler has been to the Final Four twice, the brass ring has been just a hair too high for Purdue. NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024 The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Braun, who started for KU’s 2022 NCAA title team, drove to the hoop and flushed a two-handed jam, giving Denver a 101-92 lead over Minnesota with 4:03 left in a 116-107 win. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024
Verb
So far, Portis' strong-suits aren't making coffee, spotting no difference between two identical photos of Fiserv Forum, catching a phishing scam or shooting paper balls into a garbage can hoop. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2024 Chalamet sported a black hoodie with a matching baseball cap, while Jenner rocked hooped earrings and a stylish updo hairstyle with a black, strapless top. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023 The advent of one-and-done college players means that many arrive ill-equipped to hoop with adults. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 21 June 2023 For example, a weighted hula hoop workout could include six rounds of hula hooping. Erin Warwood, womenshealthmag.com, 8 Apr. 2023 Janie Taylor did the costumes; the men’s leotards are gray on top and charcoal on the bottom, with a thin red waistband, whereas the women’s are hooped black and white on top and white on the bottom, with the same red waistband. Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Apr. 2023 These guys can hoop, too. Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune, 14 Mar. 2021 Nevertheless, panniers, or hooped petticoats undergirding the hips, and their 16th- and 17th-century relatives, farthingales, stepped out of the history books and onto the spring runways. Véronique Hyland, ELLE, 21 Mar. 2023 Anybody can hoop in this tournament. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 15 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hōp; akin to Middle Dutch hoep ring, hoop

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoop was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hoop

Cite this Entry

“Hoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoop. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

hoop

noun
ˈhu̇p,
ˈhüp
1
: a circular band used for holding together the strips that make up the sides of a barrel
also : a similar band used as a toy
2
a
: a circular figure or object : ring
b
: the rim of a basketball goal
broadly : the entire goal
3
: basketball
usually used in plural
4
: a circle or series of circles of flexible material used to expand a woman's skirt
hoop verb

More from Merriam-Webster on hoop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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