botany
[bot-n-ee]
- the science of plants; the branch of biology that deals with plant life.
- the plant life of a region: the botany of Alaska.
- the biology of a plant or plant group: the botany of deciduous trees.
- (sometimes initial capital letter) Botany wool.
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Origin of botany
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for botany
Contemporary Examples
The Garden of Cyrus, with its arcane explorations of botany and geometry, may as well be an alchemical treatise or a grimoire.
And she has amassed a world-class 10,000-volume library devoted to botany through the ages.
Historical Examples
Fortunately, the botany of the grape is comparatively simple.
Manual of American Grape-GrowingU. P. Hedrick
Naturally it is ignorant of botany, and knows nothing of cuttings.
The Industries of AnimalsFrdric Houssay
That is idealising the study of botany in a most delicious way.
Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of ScotlandDaniel Turner Holmes
A young lady, I will imagine, wishes to introduce the study of Botany into her school.
The TeacherJacob Abbott
He is soon to marry a lady who lectures on Botany in Oxford.
botany
- the study of plants, including their classification, structure, physiology, ecology, and economic importance
- the plant life of a particular region or time
- the biological characteristics of a particular group of plants
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Word Origin
C17: from botanical; compare astronomy, astronomical
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
Word Origin and History for botany
n.
1690s, from botanic. The -y is from astronomy, etc. Botany Bay so called by Capt. Cook on account of the great variety of plants found there.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
botany
[bŏt′n-ē]
- The scientific study of plants, including their growth, structure, physiology, reproduction, and pathology, as well as their economic use and cultivation by humans.
- The plant life of a particular area.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
botany
The scientific study and categorization of plants. (See fruit, photosynthesis, and plant kingdom.)
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.