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Synonyms

zoology

American  
[zoh-ol-uh-jee] / zoʊˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

plural

zoologies

  1. the science or branch of biology dealing with animals.

  2. a treatise on zoology.

  3. the animal life of a particular region.

zoology British  
/ ˌzəʊəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, zəʊˈɒlədʒɪ, zuː-, ˌzuːə- /

noun

  1. the study of animals, including their classification, structure, physiology, and history

  2. the biological characteristics of a particular animal or animal group

  3. the fauna characteristic of a particular region

  4. a book, treatise, etc, dealing with any aspect of the study of animals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
zoology Scientific  
/ zō-ŏl′ə-jē,zo̅o̅-ŏl′- /

  1. The scientific study of organisms in the kingdom Animalia, including their growth and structure.

zoology Cultural  

  1. The scientific study and classification of animals. (See Linnean classification.)

Other Word Forms

  • zoological adjective
  • zoologist noun

Etymology

Origin of zoology

First recorded in 1660–70; zoo- + -logy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Before turning to literature, Wells had studied zoology, and though much of what he had learned has now been superseded, the view of race advanced in this book, for instance, has held up well.

From The Wall Street Journal

Specialists in zoology, ecology, and botany worked together to uncover how different species manage to survive there.

From Science Daily

"Ants are everywhere," said lead author Arthur Matte, a Ph.D. student in zoology at the University of Cambridge.

From Science Daily

The couple, together since meeting in a 2014 college zoology class, say outsiders shouldn't judge their lives.

From BBC

It put out feelers, including to Aberdeen University's zoology department and museums.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.