English
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 573: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) IPA(key): /fuː/ - (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Rhymes: -uː - (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Homophone: -fu
Etymology 1
Noun
foo (plural foos)
- (historical, obsolete) (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Alternative form of fu: an administrative subdivision of imperial China; the capital of such divisions.
Etymology 2
From Chinese 福 (fú, “fortunate; prosperity, good luck”), via its use as 福星 (Fúxīng, “Jupiter”) in Chinese statues of the Three Lucky Stars, picked up from c. 1935 as a nonsense word in Bill Holman's Smokey Stover comic strip,[1][2][3] whence it was picked up by Pogo, Looney Tunes, and others. Used by Jack Speer as the fannish ghod of mimeography. Popularized in computing contexts by the Tech Model Railroad Club's 1959 Dictionary of the TMRC Language, which incorporated it into a parody of the Hindu chant om mani padme hum,[1] possibly under the influence of WWII military slang fubar, which had been repopularized by Joseph Heller's Catch-22.
Noun
foo (uncountable)
- (programming) A metasyntactic variable used to represent an unspecified entity. If part of a series of such entities, it is often the first in the series, and followed immediately by bar.
- Suppose we have two objects, foo and bar.
- (fandom slang) (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Alternative letter-case form of Foo (“placeholder god”)
Derived terms
Related terms
Etymology 3
Interjection
foo
- (euphemistic) Expression of disappointment or disgust.
- Oh foo – the cake burnt!
Synonyms
Etymology 4
Alternative forms
Noun
foo (plural foos)
- (slang) (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Eye dialect spelling of fool.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “foo”, The Jargon File
- ^ "The History of Bill Holman", Smokey-Stover.com, Smokey Stover LLC – article by nephew of Bill Holman
- ^ "Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion"
- rfc:3092, Etymology of "Foo", Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
Anagrams
Middle English
Etymology 1
From the oblique stem of Old English ġefāh.
Noun
foo (plural foos)
- (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Alternative form of fo
Etymology 2
From Old English fā, variant of fāh.
Adjective
foo
- (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Alternative form of fo
Adverb
foo
- (deprecated use of
|lang=parameter) Alternative form of fo
Tetum
Verb
foo
- to stink
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/uː
- English terms with homophones
- English terms derived from Mandarin
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with historical senses
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms derived from Chinese
- English uncountable nouns
- en:Programming
- English terms with usage examples
- English fandom slang
- English interjections
- English euphemisms
- English slang
- English eye dialect
- English minced oaths
- English placeholder terms
- Middle English terms inherited from Old English
- Middle English terms derived from Old English
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- Middle English adjectives
- Middle English adverbs
- Tetum lemmas
- Tetum verbs