n. [ OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel. ] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A ring; a circular band; anything resembling a hoop, as the cylinder (cheese hoop) in which the curd is pressed in making cheese. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A circle, or combination of circles, of thin whalebone, metal, or other elastic material, used for expanding the skirts of ladies' dresses; crinoline; -- used chiefly in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though stiff with hoops, and armed with ribs of whale. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. 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. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An old measure of capacity, variously estimated at from one to four pecks. [ Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bulge hoop,
Chine hoop,
Quarter hoop, the hoop nearest the middle of a cask, that nearest the end, and the intermediate hoop between these two, respectively. --
Flat hoop, a wooden hoop dressed flat on both sides. --
Half-round hoop, a wooden hoop left rounding and undressed on the outside. --
Hoop iron, iron in thin narrow strips, used for making hoops. --
Hoop lock, the fastening for uniting the ends of wooden hoops by notching and interlocking them. --
Hoop skirt, a framework of hoops for expanding the skirts of a woman's dress; -- called also hoop petticoat. --
Hoop snake (Zool.), a harmless snake of the Southern United States (Abaster erythrogrammus); -- so called from the mistaken notion that it curves itself into a hoop, taking its tail into its mouth, and rolls along with great velocity. --
Hoop tree (Bot.), a small West Indian tree (Melia sempervirens), of the Mahogany family. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ OE. houpen; cf. F. houper to hoop, to shout; -- a hunting term, prob. fr. houp, an interj. used in calling. Cf. Whoop. ] 1. To utter a loud cry, or a sound imitative of the word, by way of call or pursuit; to shout. [ Usually written whoop. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To whoop, as in whooping cough. See Whoop. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hooping cough. (Med.) See Whooping cough. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Written also whoop. ] 1. To drive or follow with a shout. “To be hooped out of Rome.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To call by a shout or peculiar cry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A shout; a whoop, as in whooping cough. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The hoopoe. See Hoopoe. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Hooped p. pr. & vb. n. Hooping. ] 1. To bind or fasten with hoops; as, to hoop a barrel or puncheon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To clasp; to encircle; to surround. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) [ So called from its note. ] The European whistling, or wild, swan (Olor cygnus); -- called also hooper swan, whooping swan, and elk.

n. [ See 1st Hoop. ] One who hoops casks or tubs; a cooper. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. [ So called from its cry; cf. L. upupa, Gr. &unr_;, D. hop, F. huppe; cf. also G. wiedenhopf, OHG. wituhopfo, lit., wood hopper. ] (Zool.) A European bird of the genus Upupa (Upupa epops), having a beautiful crest, which it can erect or depress at pleasure, and a slender down-curving bill. Called also hoop, whoop. The name is also applied to several other species of the same genus and allied genera.

n. The game of basketball. [ Slang ] [ PJC ]

n. a skirt stiffened with hoops.
Syn. -- crinoline. [ WordNet 1.5 ]