hoop

1. (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.Examples: "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."countablehistoricaluncountable

2. (UK, obsolete) An old measure of capacity, variously estimated at from one to four pecks.UKcountableobsoleteuncountable

3. (basketball) The rim part of a basketball net.countableuncountable

4. (US, in the plural, metonymic) The game of basketball.Examples: "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."UScountablein-pluralmetonymicallyuncountable

5. (sports, usually in the plural) A horizontal stripe on the jersey.Examples: "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."countableplural-normallyuncountable

6. (Australia, metonymic, slang, by extension) A jockey.Examples: "The stewards ordered Des Coleman, the senior hoop (jockey) present, to ride and he got the horse home in a photo-finish."Australiabroadlycountablemetonymicallyslanguncountable