Mizzou is the University of Missouri’s nickname and is pronounced muh-ZOO. The word Mizzou is an example of clipping; a longer word, Missouri, becomes shortened (or clipped) to Mizzou, which is similar but shorter. We’re not sure who first used the word Mizzou, but we know it was used in the Missouri Alumni Quarterly (now called MIZZOU magazine) as early as December 1905.