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Showing results for speleology. Search instead for spelaeology.

speleology

American  
[spee-lee-ol-uh-jee] / ˌspi liˈɒl ə dʒi /
Or spelaeology

noun

  1. the exploration and study of caves.

speleology British  
/ ˌspiːlɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌspiːlɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

  1. the scientific study of caves, esp in respect of their geological formation, flora and fauna, etc

  2. the sport or pastime of exploring caves

"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
speleology Scientific  
/ spē′lē-ŏl′ə-jē /

  1. The exploration and scientific study of the geological and ecological features of caves.

Other Word Forms

  • speleological adjective
  • speleologist noun

Etymology

Origin of speleology

1890–95; < Latin spēlae ( um ) ( spelaean ) + -o- + -logy

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.