botany

American  

[bot-n-ee] / ˈbɒt n i /

noun

• botanies
  plural

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.

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botany British  

/ 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

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botany Scientific  

/ 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.

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botany Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• botanist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• botanies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of botany

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

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Explanation

The study of plants is called botany. Each climate has its own particular botany, so if you study desert growth, you might focus on such plants as cactus and sage, while if you're in the jungle you'd study the lush growth there. Someone once said, "Botany is the science in which plants are known by their aliases." Indeed, the study of botany includes learning the scientific names of plants. The origin of the word botany came from the Greek word botane, which means "grass" or "pasture." Since the original meaning focused on the idea of a pasture, it's possible the study of botany came about from herdsmen needing to know what plants were safe for their herds to eat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

botany botanies

From architecture to botany to labor practices, the people, places and culture with which Jefferson interacted became integral to the vision of America he would begin to implement on his return to the States.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Simon Milne, whose formal title is regius keeper, has been recognised for his services to botany, conservation and horticulture.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

"It covers a very significant amount of area," Naomi Fraga, director of conservation at the California Botanic Garden and research assistant professor of botany at Claremont Graduate University, told Salon.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2024

Innovation in seagrass restoration requires broad, incremental advancements in knowledge around foundational marine science, botany, and data collection, which may make it relatively costlier and slower to implement.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2024

There was a section for inventing and a section for building and one for scientific study and one for botany and one for the study of magic.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

From it I have sent to scientists flowers and vines not then classified and illustrated in our botanies.

From Moths of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

It is to be presumed that it has an unwieldy scientific cognomen in the botanies; but I heard of no common one, except that given by the poet.

From A Bird-Lover in the West by Olive Thorne Miller

The "virtues of flowers" took a prominent place in the descriptions in old-time botanies.

From Home Life in Colonial Days by Alice Morse Earle

With a sentiment of wonder and inquiry, not unmixed with mystery, do we regard many flowers, which are described in our botanies as Garden Escapes.

From Old-Time Gardens Newly Set Forth by Alice Morse Earle

Aside from laxity of method and statement, the only difference is that geographies and histories and botanies and astronomies are now part of the authoritative literature which is to be mastered.

From Democracy and Education: an introduction to the philosophy of education by John Dewey

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