palynology

American

[pal-uh-nol-uh-jee] / ˌpæl əˈnɒl ə dʒi /

noun

the study of live and fossil spores, pollen grains, and similar plant structures.

palynology British

/ ˌpælɪˈnɒlədʒɪ, ˌpælɪnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

the study of living and fossil pollen grains and plant spores

"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

palynology Scientific

/ păl′ə-nŏl′ə-jē /

The scientific study of spores and pollen, both living and fossilized. Palynology helps improve knowledge of ecosystems in both the recent and distant past, since pollen and spores are extremely durable, unlike many other plant parts.

Other Word Forms

palynological adjective
palynologically adverb
palynologist noun

Etymology

Origin of palynology

1940–45; < Greek palýn ( ein ) to sprinkle, scatter (akin to pálē dust, Latin pollen; pollen ) + -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.

Estella Leopold specialized in the study of pollen, known as palynology, especially in the fossilized form.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024

There is a whole branch of palaeontology devoted to fossil pollen - palynology.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2012

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