geophagy

American  

[jee-of-uh-jee] / dʒiˈɒf ə dʒi /

Also geophagia

noun

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

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geophagy British  

/ dʒɪˈɒfəɡəs, ˌdʒɪəˈfeɪdʒə, dʒɪˈɒfədʒɪ, dʒɪˈɒfədʒɪzəm, -dʒɪə /

noun

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

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

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Other Word Forms

• geophagist
  noun
• geophagous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of geophagy

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

Example Sentences

To soothe the resulting stomach aches, the macaques have developed a habit of "geophagy, the deliberate consumption of earth", a recent study has found.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026