botany

[ bot-n-ee ]

noun

, plural bot·a·nies.

1. the science of plants; the branch of biology that deals with plant life.
2. the plant life of a region:

   the botany of Alaska.

3. the biology of a plant or plant group:

   the botany of deciduous trees.

4. (sometimes initial capital letter) Botany wool.

botany

/ ˈbɒtənɪ /

noun

1. the study of plants, including their classification, structure, physiology, ecology, and economic importance
2. the plant life of a particular region or time
3. the biological characteristics of a particular group of plants

botany

/ bŏt′n-ē /

1. The scientific study of plants, including their growth, structure, physiology, reproduction, and pathology, as well as their economic use and cultivation by humans.
2. The plant life of a particular area.

botany

1. The scientific study and categorization of plants. ( See fruit , photosynthesis , and plant kingdom .)

Derived Forms

• ˈbotanist, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of botany¹

1690–1700; botan(ic) ( botanical ) + -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of botany¹

C17: from botanical ; compare astronomy , astronomical

Example Sentences

The Garden of Cyrus, with its arcane explorations of botany and geometry, may as well be an alchemical treatise or a grimoire.

From The Daily Beast

And she has amassed a world-class 10,000-volume library devoted to botany through the ages.

From The Daily Beast

Three men were sentenced to grow potatoes at Botany Bay the rest of their lives.

From Project Gutenberg

He had taken up botany with much ardour, and sharing the study with Margaret was a great delight to both.

From Project Gutenberg

“Botany is that branch of biology which treats of plant life” has in it the same error.

From Project Gutenberg

“Biology” is not so well understood as “botany,” though it is a more general term.

From Project Gutenberg

“Man is an animal that reasons,” “botany is the branch of science that treats of plant life,” would both be easily understood.

From Project Gutenberg