geophagy

[ jee-of-uh-jee ]

/ dʒiˈɒf ə dʒi /

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noun

the practice of eating earthy matter, especially clay or chalk, as in famine-stricken areas.

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Also ge·o·pha·gia

[jee-uh-fey-juh, -jee-uh], /ˌdʒi əˈfeɪ dʒə, -dʒi ə/, ge·oph·a·gism

[jee-of-uh-jiz-uhm]. /dʒiˈɒf əˌdʒɪz əm/.

Origin of geophagy

First recorded in 1840–50; geo- + -phagy

OTHER WORDS FROM geophagy

ge·oph·a·gist, nounge·oph·a·gous

[jee-of-uh-guhs], /dʒiˈɒf ə gəs/, adjective

Words nearby geophagy

geometry, geomorphic, geomorphology, geonavigation, Geonim, geophagy, geophilous, geophone, geophysical, geophysics, geophyte

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use geophagy in a sentence

The Whites settled in South America are likewise addicted to geophagy.
The Races of Man|Joseph Deniker

British Dictionary definitions for geophagy

geophagy

geophagia (ˌdʒɪəˈfeɪdʒə, -dʒɪə) or geophagism (dʒɪˈɒfədʒɪzəm)

/ (dʒɪˈɒfədʒɪ) /

noun

the practice of eating earth, clay, chalk, etc, found in some primitive tribes

zoology the habit of some animals, esp earthworms, of eating soil

Derived forms of geophagy

geophagist, noungeophagous (dʒɪˈɒfəɡəs), adjective

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