garbology

American  

[gahr-bol-uh-jee] / gɑrˈbɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the study of the material discarded by a society to learn what it reveals about social or cultural patterns.

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garbology British  

/ ɡɑːˈbɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the contents of domestic dustbins to analyse the consumption patterns of households

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Other Word Forms

• garbologist noun

Etymology

Origin of garbology

First recorded in 1976; garb(age) + -o- + -logy

Example Sentences

In fact, Mock and Hendlin’s garbology study, published earlier this month in a weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the first to systematically catalog e-cigarette trash.

From Salon

The district also has revamped its science program, moving a “garbology” unit to kindergarten.

From Washington Times

Weberman, who “drove us crazy” by sifting through Mr. Dylan’s garbage and analyzing it, a science he called “garbology.”

From New York Times

There was A. J. Weberman, who practiced garbology — searching through the trash for information about people like Bob Dylan and John N. Mitchell, the Nixon attorney general.

From New York Times