geologist
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of geologist
Explanation
If you’re fascinated by rocks and spend hours digging for interesting samples in the backyard, you might be a budding geologist, a scientist who studies all things related to the Earth. A geologist is an expert in the field of geology, the study of what the Earth is made of and how it was formed. The woman on TV explaining the history of an active volcano that’s ready to erupt? She’s probably a geologist who specializes in volcanoes. Geologists can specialize in many different aspects of the field, ranging from earthquakes to soil erosion. What they all have in common is that they’re trying to figure out how the Earth works.
Vocabulary lists containing geologist
Occupations
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Earth Science - Middle School
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The Origins of Civilization, Lessons 1–2
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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.
Dr Bretwood Higman, an Alaskan geologist, who saw for himself the damage at Tracy Arm Fjord, said it was "a close call".
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Cory MacNeill, a geologist from Cumberland, explains that while deep geothermal drilling was not practical in the area, the existing mine water offered a more accessible solution.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
Toby and Daniel Rice are both Rice Investment operating partners, while their brothers Derek, a geologist, and Ryan, a petroleum reservoir engineer, work on the firm’s technical and administrative team, according to the presentation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
The search began in 2019 in the Sahara Desert, where French geologist Hugues Faure had said he found a tooth belonging to the giant predator Carcharodontosaurus in the 1950s.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
As Martin J. S. Rudwick puts it, "No geologist of any nationality whose work was taken seriously by other geologists advocated a timescale confined within the limits of a literalistic exegesis of Genesis."
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
