To loop means to form or move in a curved path that comes back around to where it started, like drawing a circle in the air with your finger or tying a ribbon into a bow.

When you're learning to tie your shoes, you create loops with the laces before pulling them tight. A roller coaster might loop through the air, turning riders completely upside down before returning them right-side up. In cursive handwriting, letters like g and y have loops that curl back on themselves.

In computer programming, a loop is a set of instructions that repeats over and over until a certain condition is met. For example, a video game might use a loop to check if you've pressed any buttons, update what's happening on screen, and then check again, thousands of times per second. Without loops, programmers would have to write the same code hundreds or thousands of times.

The phrase “in the loop” means being included in information or conversations about something. If your teacher keeps you in the loop about a class project, you know what's happening and can participate fully. Being out of the loop means missing important information that others have.