zoology
Americannoun
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the science or branch of biology dealing with animals.
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a treatise on zoology.
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the animal life of a particular region.
noun
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the study of animals, including their classification, structure, physiology, and history
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the biological characteristics of a particular animal or animal group
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the fauna characteristic of a particular region
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a book, treatise, etc, dealing with any aspect of the study of animals
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of zoology
Explanation
If you're fascinated by monkey business or just love horsing around, you might consider a career in zoology — the scientific study of animals. According to some usage experts, most of us mispronounce the word zoology. The first syllable of this noun is correctly pronounced with a long o sound, as in toe, rather than the "oo" in zoo. Yet our error is considered acceptable because if you're going to study animal life and behavior, one of the best places to do it is at the zoo.
Vocabulary lists containing zoology
Power Suffix: -ology
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Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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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.
"Life was pretty nice during the Ediacaran, so the need for sex was rather limited," said lead author Dr. Emily Mitchell from Cambridge's Department of Zoology.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
Dr. Andrew Hosie, Curator of Aquatic Zoology at the Western Australian Museum, participated in describing this newly identified crab species.
From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025
Tallie, who was from Oswestry, Shropshire, graduated from Bangor University last year with a degree in Marine Biology with Vertebrate Zoology.
From BBC • Sep. 13, 2024
That does not bode well, says Scott Edwards, an evolutionary biologist and curator at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology.
From Science Magazine • Apr. 2, 2024
It is actually the Zoology Building, but we don’t call it that.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
