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nature study

American  

noun

  1. the study of plants and animals, especially by amateurs.


nature study British  

noun

  1. the study of the natural world, esp animals and plants, by direct observation at an elementary level

"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

Etymology

Origin of nature study

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

I’m writing about bird-watching here, but these same seven principles apply just as well to any form of nature study.

From New York Times

This is why his dances can feel a little bit like nature studies.

From The New Yorker

I adored a nature study series of picture books by Père Castor, which are sadly now out of print.

From New York Times

Only one work on the two programs is newish — “Branches,” a middling nature study created in 2017 — so the thrust turns out to be retrospective, a sampling of four decades of repertory.

From New York Times

Marian Engstrom is a self-admitted “conservation gypsy,” moving from one nature study to the next in her quest to save the environment.

From Washington Times