ethnobotany

American

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

noun

the plant lore and agricultural customs of a people.
Anthropology. the systematic study of such lore and customs.

ethnobotany British

/ ˌɛθnəʊˈbɒtənɪ /

noun

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

"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

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Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of ethnobotany

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Susanne is one of the very few contemporary Chumash people who have truly devoted themselves to becoming skilled weavers,” said Timbrook, author of “Chumash Ethnobotany: Plant Knowledge Among the Chumash People of Southern California.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Ethnobotany is a historically small and obscure offshoot of the social sciences, focused on the myriad ways that indigenous peoples use plants for food, shelter, clothing, art and medicine.

From New York Times • Sep. 14, 2016

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023