geologist
Americannoun
-
geologists
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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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The Origins of Civilization, Lessons 1–2
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Earth Science - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
We found out that the daughters of the geologist Leonard Horner invited Darwin to come over for a visit—in Maōri, which they thought would impress the world traveler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
But the Planning Commission, whose five members are appointed by San Bernardino County supervisors, ordered the geologist to revise his findings and granted the vested rights to the quarry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
"We're used to hearing the 'Big One' - Cascadia - being this catastrophic huge thing," said Chris Goldfinger, a marine geologist at Oregon State University and lead author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
Toss Master Kyle Mathews, co-organiser of the event, said an official tournament geologist had been appointed this year, leaving no stone unturned in keeping the 400 challengers in order.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Samuel Haughton, a respected geologist at Trinity College in Dublin, announced an estimated age for the Earth of 2,300 million years–way beyond anything anybody else was suggesting.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
The find has been described as a totally unique, with geologists and marine specialists trying to establish the fossil's story and the Natural History Museum in London helping to identify it.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Part of the problem, Nadrowski said, is that mining companies are run by geologists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
But he had ordered the structure built on an unstable foundation, without consulting independent geologists or engineers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The team brings together professional tree climbers, ecologists, geologists, and remote sensing specialists.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
During the last ice age it experienced what geologists call a periglacial climate—a zone at the edge of an ice sheet characterized by frequent freeze-thaw cycles that fractured the rock.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
