zoology
|zoo-ol-o-gy|
C1
🇺🇸
/ˌzuːˈɑːlədʒi/
🇬🇧
/ˌzuːˈɒlədʒi/
study of animals
Etymology
Etymology Information
'zoology' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'ζῷον (zōion)' and 'λογία (logia)', where 'ζῷον' meant 'animal' and 'λογία' meant 'study' or 'discourse'.
Historical Evolution
'zoology' passed into Medieval Latin as 'zoologia' and then into modern English as 'zoology'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'study of animals', and over time this core meaning has been largely retained in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the branch of biology that studies animals, including their structure, physiology, classification, behavior, and distribution.
She studied zoology at university and later worked in wildlife conservation.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/09 05:10