ethnobotany

American  

[eth-noh-bot-n-ee] / ˌɛθ noʊˈbɒt n i /

noun

1. the plant lore and agricultural customs of a people.

2. Anthropology.  the systematic study of such lore and customs.

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ethnobotany British  

/ ˌɛθnəʊˈbɒtənɪ /

noun

1. the branch of botany concerned with the use of plants in folklore, religion, etc

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Other Word Forms

• ethnobotanic adjective
• ethnobotanical adjective
• ethnobotanist noun

Etymology

Origin of ethnobotany

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; ethno- + botany

Example Sentences

“I’ll order copies of a new book on Mayan ethnobotany,” he added, “but I won’t read it with the same gimlet eye that Nach would.”

From New York Times

Healing Gardens is offering 17 gardens for rent throughout Los Angeles, as well as the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s Ethnobotany Peace Garden in San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times

After cancellations last March and April of in-person rattle-making, birdwatching and ethnobotany classes, digital offerings for carving and beading lessons began appearing on the tribe’s calendar in May.

From Seattle Times

Healing Gardens is offering 17 gardens for rent throughout Los Angeles as well as the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s Ethnobotany Peace Garden in San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times

The Paris-born Alice Duvernell spent the early part of her career in ethnobotany, the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses, at a nature preserve in northeastern Brazil.

From New York Times