geophagy
[ jee-of-uh-jee ]
noun
the practice of eating earthy matter, especially clay or chalk, as in famine-stricken areas.
Origin of geophagy
1- Also ge·o·pha·gia [jee-uh-fey-juh, -jee-uh], /ˌdʒi əˈfeɪ dʒə, -dʒi ə/, ge·oph·a·gism [jee-of-uh-jiz-uhm]. /dʒiˈɒf əˌdʒɪz əm/.
Other words from geophagy
- ge·oph·a·gist, noun
- ge·oph·a·gous [jee-of-uh-guhs], /dʒiˈɒf ə gəs/, adjective
Words Nearby geophagy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use geophagy in a sentence
The Whites settled in South America are likewise addicted to geophagy.
The Races of Man | Joseph Deniker
British Dictionary definitions for geophagy
geophagy
geophagia (ˌdʒɪəˈfeɪdʒə, -dʒɪə) or geophagism (dʒɪˈɒfədʒɪzəm)
/ (dʒɪˈɒfədʒɪ) /
noun
the practice of eating earth, clay, chalk, etc, found in some primitive tribes
zoology the habit of some animals, esp earthworms, of eating soil
Derived forms of geophagy
- geophagist, noun
- geophagous (dʒɪˈɒfəɡəs), adjective
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
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