gastronomy

American  

[ga-stron-uh-mee] / gæˈstrɒn ə mi /

noun

1. the art or science of good eating.

2. a style of cooking or eating.

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gastronomy British  

/ ɡæsˈtrɒnəmɪ /

noun

1. the art of good eating

2. the type of cookery of a particular region

   the gastronomy of Provence

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Other Word Forms

• gastronomic adjective
• gastronomical adjective
• gastronomically adverb

Etymology

Origin of gastronomy

1805–15; < French gastronomie < Greek gastronómia. See gastro-, -nomy

Explanation

Gastronomy is all about food — the study of food, the history of food, making good food — how we have come to eat what we eat. Despite appearances, gastronomy has nothing to do with gas (although if you eat a great deal of rich food from France, which is where we get the word, it may lead to the intestinal discomfort known as gas). Gastronomy concerns itself with the culture of your belly, gastro, in ancient Greek. In France, where they take their food very seriously, they have an entire academy devoted to the study of gastronomy, or gastronomie — as they say.

Example Sentences

They are collaborating with longtime locals to turn the central neighborhoods of this sprawling city into an unlikely hub for art, culture and gastronomy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

My mother shaped my love of gastronomy more intimately than Julia Child.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2026

Several times crowned the best restaurant in the world, noma, a beacon of gastronomy in Copenhagen, wants to carve a niche among home cooks by selling them some of its products.

From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025

But behind the molecular gastronomy and Michelin stars, his mind was increasingly in turmoil.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2025

If the youth of the land were instructed in gastronomy we would all be wiser and better.

From The Paliser case by Saltus, Edgar