What does "foo" mean?
Alternative form of fu: an administrative subdivision of imperial China; the capital of such divisions.
Foo
intj, name, noun, slang
intj, name, noun, slang ·1 syllable ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Alternative form of fu: an administrative subdivision of imperial China; the capital of such divisions.
- Grammar: foo is listed as intj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: commandery, dummy, example, placeholder.
- Useful contrasts: actual thing, real item.
- Usage evidence: You need to filter the output of this command in order to display only the lines with "foo" inside.
How to use "foo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "foo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "foo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "foo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "foo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "foo" is acting as intj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "commandery" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "foo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative form of fu: an administrative subdivision of imperial China; the capital of such divisions. alt-of, alternative, historical, obsolete
- 2 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. uncountable
"Suppose we have two objects, foo and bar."
- 3 Pronunciation spelling of fool. alt-of, pronunciation-spelling, slang
"[page 10:] "I knew you'd be scared," Reggie laughed. "What are you doin', foo? You must be crazy. You don't scare me." "Then why did you almost fall out of that chair? I scare everyone." [page 38:] "This is coo," said Fred. "It's almost like being there." "We are there, foo!" said Reggie as the boys slapped palms."
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of Foo (“placeholder god”). alt-of, slang, uncountable
Intj
- 1 Expression of disappointment or disgust.
"Oh foo – the cake burnt!"
Proper Noun
- 1 A mock deity of early science fiction fandom; a fannish ghod. dated, humorous, slang
"Robert Bloch has blown his top. Backwards or forwards (or sideways) Foo ((ugh)) and Ghu ((!)) cannot be united! Does one eat chocolate cake with catsup on it? If you do and enjoy it then go off and be a fooghuist in your own little corner. You may as well worship Roscoe. Or Alpaugh. Foo fans are happy fans. Ghu isn't really helping Hoffman put out a fine mag you know. The fans who read Q are probably -- for the most part -- Foofooists."
Antonyms
actual thingreal item
Example
"You need to filter the output of this command in order to display only the lines with "foo" inside."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "foo"?
Common synonyms include: commandery, dummy, example, placeholder, thingy, token.
How do you use "foo" in a sentence?
You need to filter the output of this command in order to display only the lines with "foo" inside.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Mandarin 府 (fǔ).
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, whence it was picked up by Pogo, Looney Tunes, and others. Used by Jack Speer as the name of a mock god of mimeography in the 1930s. 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 Buddhist chant om mani padme hum, possibly under the influence of WWII military slang FUBAR, which had been repopularized by Joseph Heller's Catch-22.
Etymology 3
A minced form of fuck.
Etymology 4
See foo. Used in this context by Jack Speer, originally for the fannish ghod of mimeography in the 1930s.