hoop

noun

1. 1

   A circular band of metal used to bind a barrel.

2. 2

   Any circular band or ring.

   the cheese hoop, or cylinder in which the curd is pressed in making cheese

   gymnastic hoop

   a hoop between trees

3. 3

   A circular band of metal, wood, or similar material used for forming part of a framework such as an awning or tent.

4. 4

   historicalA circle, or combination of circles, of thin whalebone, metal, or other elastic material, used for expanding the skirts of ladies' dresses; (hence, by extension) a hoop petticoat or hoop skirt.

   He took the removed chair and drew it so near mine, squatting in it with his ugly weight, that he pressed upon my hoop.

   The door of the room now flew open, and, after pushing in her hoop sideways before her, entered Lady Bellaston, who having first made a very low courtesy to Mrs Fitzpatrick, and as low a one to Mr Jones, was ushered to the upper end of the room.

5. 5

   A quart-pot; so called because originally bound with hoops, like a barrel. Also, a portion of the contents measured by the distance between the hoops.

6. 6

   obsoleteAn old measure of capacity, variously estimated at from one to four pecks.

7. 7

   The rim part of a basketball net.

8. 8

   The game of basketball.

   Articles ranging from Chris Johnson's "For Europeans, hoops is the second-most beautiful game" for The Globe and Mail to Adam Minter's "China Is Hoops Country" for Bloomberg Opinion have detailed the rise in basketball in a wide range of countries, including the most populous ones in the world.

9. 9

   A hoop earring.

10. 10

    A horizontal stripe on the jersey.

    Porto are playing from right to left in blue and white stripes, blue shorts and blue socks. Celtic are in their usual green and white hoops, with white shorts and white socks.

    Tipperary v Clare: IF ANYTHING can relight the fire of the old Clare hurling passion it’s the sight of the blue jersey with the gold hoop.

11. 11

    slangA jockey.

    The stewards ordered Des Coleman, the senior hoop (jockey) present, to ride and he got the horse home in a photo-finish.

12. 12

    figurativeAn obstacle that must be overcome in order to proceed.

    But if they want to export that, then they do have to go through several hoops that you will impose upon them.

    Windows forces you to jump through several hoops before allowing you to delete a partition — and for good reason.

    Although restrictions like prior authorization and step therapy may be of benefit in protecting people's health or even saving them money, most Medicare beneficiaries regard them as a hassle — just more hoops to go through to get the drugs they need.

    So it looks certain that I will be returning to Australia, when at the last, I am offered a job by a London school that is willing to jump through the hoops involved to sponsor me for a visa.

13. 13

    Hooping (manipulation of and artistic movement or dancing with a hoop).

14. 14

    slangA significant amount of swing from the bowler.

15. 15

    An apparatus.

16. 16

    An apparatus. An apparatus program with a hoop.

verb

1. 1

   To bind or fasten using a hoop.

   to hoop a barrel or puncheon

2. 2

   To clasp; to encircle; to surround.

   [B]ehold the wretched price of Wales, / Hoopt with a bond of yron round about, […]

3. 3

   slangTo play basketball.

   Instead of hooping, they now played tennis, golf, or both.

   Wassup bro when you tryna hoop you wasting yo height

noun

1. 1

   A shout; a whoop, as in whooping cough.

2. 2

   archaicThe hoopoe.

verb

1. 1

   datedTo utter a loud cry, or a sound imitative of the word, by way of call or pursuit; to shout.

2. 2

   datedTo whoop, as in whooping cough.

Forms

plural

hoops

past tense

hooped

past participle

hooped

present participle

hooping

third person singular

hoops