hoop

Etymology 1

From Middle English hoop, hoope, from Old English hōp (“mound, raised land; in combination, circular object”), from Proto-Germanic *hōpą (“bend, bow, arch”) (compare Saterland Frisian Houp (“hoop”), Dutch hoep (“hoop”), Old Norse hóp (“bay, inlet”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kāb- (“to bend”) (compare Lithuanian kabė (“hook”), Old Church Slavonic кѫпъ (kǫpŭ, “hill, island”)). More at camp.

noun

1. A circular band of metal used to bind a barrel.
2. Any circular band or ring
   Coordinate term: tyre
   the cheese hoop, or cylinder in which the curd is pressed in making cheese
   gymnastic hoop
   a hoop between trees
3. A circular band of metal, wood, or similar material used for forming part of a framework such as an awning or tent.
4. (now chiefly historical) A 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.
   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. 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
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. (UK, obsolete) An old measure of capacity, variously estimated at from one to four pecks.
7. (basketball) The rim part of a basketball net.
8. (US, in the plural, metonymically) 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. 2018-07-30, Bruce Y. Lee, “How This Sport Is Changing Kids' Health Around The World”, in Forbes
9. A hoop earring.
10. (sports, usually in the plural) 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. 2003 May 21, Barry Glendenning "Minute-by-minute: Celtic 2 - 3 FC Porto (AET)" The Guardian (London)
    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. June 20 2009, Ian O'Riordan, “Tipperary look in better shape”, in The Irish Times
11. (Australia, metonymically, slang, by extension) A jockey.
    The stewards ordered Des Coleman, the senior hoop (jockey) present, to ride and he got the horse home in a photo-finish. 2011, James Morton, Susanna Lobez, Kings of Stings: The Greatest Swindles from Down Under
12. (figurative, usually in the plural) An 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. 1997, Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act
    Windows forces you to jump through several hoops before allowing you to delete a partition — and for good reason. 2000, Ed Bott, Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows, page 252
    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. 2008, Patricia Barry, Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage For Dummies, page 49
    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. 2011, Jason Toll, Moscow Bound

verb

1. (transitive) To bind or fasten using a hoop.
   to hoop a barrel or puncheon
2. (transitive) To clasp; to encircle; to surround.
3. (intransitive, slang) To play basketball.
   Instead of hooping, they now played tennis, golf, or both. 2019, Charley Rosen, Trouthe, Lies, and Basketball

Etymology 2

noun

1. A shout; a whoop, as in whooping cough.
2. The hoopoe.

verb

1. (dated) To utter a loud cry, or a sound imitative of the word, by way of call or pursuit; to shout.
2. (dated) To whoop, as in whooping cough.