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

Etymology

Origin of botany

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

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

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

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

First, a botany crash-course: You can’t just plant a seed from your favorite apple to grow more of them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

“We’ve always been intrigued by overlap between plants and humans,” study coauthor Pradeep Kachroo, a botany professor at the University of Kentucky, told Salon in a video interview.

From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2025

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

"Triplaris americana," said Balee, an expert in forest botany.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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 Dewey, John

She was familiar with many members of she family, but such a fine specimen she seldom had found and she could not recall having seen it in all of her botanies.

From Her Father's Daughter by Stratton-Porter, Gene

It was the germander speedwell that in literature and botanies alike was most commonly known as the forget-me-not for more than two hundred years, or until only fifty years ago.

From Wild Flowers Worth Knowing by Blanchan, Neltje

For this purpose I have drawn all the shapes I can find named in botanies, into a book, from which I teach them.

From Guide to the Kindergarten and Intermediate Class and Moral Culture of Infancy. by Mann, Mary E.

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

From Home Life in Colonial Days by Earle, Alice Morse