naturalist

[nach-er-uh-list, nach-ruh-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR naturalist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who studies or is an expert in natural history, especially a zoologist or botanist.

an adherent of naturalism in literature or art.

Nearby words

Origin of naturalist

First recorded in 1580–90; natural + -ist

Related formsan·ti·nat·u·ral·ist, noun, adjectivenon·nat·u·ral·ist, noun

Can be confusednaturalist naturist nudist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for naturalist

Archie Carr, The Windward Road: Adventures of a Naturalist On Remote Caribbean Shores—The title tells you a lot, but not enough.
Book Bag: Overlooked Classic Books From the Sunshine State|Randy Wayne White|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His chronicle of his trip, The Naturalist on the River Amazons, became a bestseller when it was published in 1863.
Exploring the Amazon, While We Still Can|Darrell Hartman|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whenever I read Matthiessen the naturalist, I am reminded of a film clip I once saw of him trying to catch a snake in the wild.
Peter Matthiessen Was One of the Greatest Writers of a Great Generation|Malcolm Jones|April 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Doug Peacock is a naturalist and author who lives in Montana.
Incontrovertible Evidence Proves the First Americans Came From Asia|Doug Peacock|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“This is boom time for meat eaters,” David Attenborough, naturalist and BBC broadcaster, once said.
Walking With Wildebeests: Exploring the Serengeti on Foot|Joanna Eede|July 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Our friend is a naturalist, and uses spirits to preserve things in.
Witness to the Deed|George Manville Fenn
And, in like manner, the palozoic scorpions can only be distinguished by the eye of a naturalist from the modern ones.
Man's Place in Nature and Other Essays|Thomas Henry Huxley
Accordingly, the naturalist method inevitably produces an extreme dulness.
A Short History of French Literature|George Saintsbury
Subsequently, Waterton undertook arduous and adventurous journeys in Guiana, simply as a naturalist.
The World's Greatest Books, Volume 19|Various
He saw them with the eye of the poet as well as that of the naturalist.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 2, August, 1864|Various

British Dictionary definitions for naturalist

naturalist

noun

a person who is expert or interested in botany or zoology, esp in the field

a person who advocates or practises naturalism, esp in art or literature

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

Word Origin and History for naturalist

naturalist

"student of plants and animals," c.1600, from French naturaliste, from natural (see natural (adj.)). Earlier "one who studies natural, rather than spiritual, things" (1580s).

Science definitions for naturalist

naturalist

[năch′ər-ə-lĭst]

A person who specializes in natural history, especially in the study of plants and animals in their natural surroundings.

naturalist

noun

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Origin of naturalist

Examples from the Web for naturalist

naturalist

noun

naturalist

naturalist