zoo keeper
1
2.0
- noun
- /zuː ˈkiːpər/
:
cuidador de zoológico
- The zoo keeper explained to the children how to respect the animals in the enclosure.
Examples
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As a zoo keeper, her main responsibility is to ensure all the animals are healthy and well-cared for.
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The zoo keeper carefully fed the lions each morning.
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Send in the zoo keeper.
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Don't force me to call the zoo-keepers.
Fiction book (1996) -
Marry a zoo-keeper.
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A zoo-keeper wanders into the darkened interior of the Reptile House.
Fiction book (1995) -
"The disposal of unwanted zoo animals is a national problem, one that is not being addressed responsibly by zoos," charges Lisa Landres, a former San Diego Zoo keeper now with Friends of Animals.
Academic text (1992)
Synonyms
106
2.5
A person who looks after buildings, animals, or things
28
3.8
Person who trains and leads animals in shows or competitions
9
3.0
A person who takes care of animals in a zoo
7
2.7
A person who teaches animals to perform in shows or do work
3
6.4
A person who looks after wild animals on a large estate
A person who feeds and looks after animals, for example in a shelter or zoo
A person who looks after farm animals like cows and sheep
How Senior
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'zoo' names the place/animals and 'keeper' denotes someone who looks after them, so a learner who knows both words can infer 'a person who cares for animals in a zoo'. This agent‑noun compounding pattern (X keeper = person who cares for X) is common cross‑linguistically and follows regular English formation, making it transparent at B1 level.
Etymology
Zoo keeper comes from a simple picture: a zoo (a place with many animals) and a keeper (a person who looks after things). That image of someone looking after the animals and their homes is why it means 'a person whose job is to care for the animals in a zoo'.