geratology

American

[jer-uh-tol-uh-jee] / ˌdʒɛr əˈtɒl ə dʒi /

noun

Biology.

the study of the diminution or decline of life, as in an individual animal or a species approaching extinction.

geratology British

/ ˌdʒɛrəˈtɒlədʒɪ, ˌdʒɛrətəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

the branch of medicine concerned with the elderly and the phenomena associated with ageing; geriatrics and gerontology

"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

Other Word Forms

geratologic adjective
geratological adjective
geratologist noun
geratologous adjective

Etymology

Origin of geratology

1880–85; gerat- (erroneously taken as the stem of Greek gêras old age) + -o- + -logy

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.

Geratology, jer-at-ol′o-ji, n. the science of the phenomena of decadence.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023