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stratigraphy

[ struh-tig-ruh-fee ]
/ strəˈtɪg rə fi /
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noun
a branch of geology dealing with the classification, nomenclature, correlation, and interpretation of stratified rocks.
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Origin of stratigraphy

First recorded in 1860–65; strati- + -graphy

OTHER WORDS FROM stratigraphy

stra·tig·ra·pher, stra·tig·ra·phist, nounstrat·i·graph·ic [strat-i-graf-ik], /ˌstræt ɪˈgræf ɪk/, strat·i·graph·i·cal, adjectivestrat·i·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stratigraphy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stratigraphy

stratigraphy
/ (strəˈtɪɡrəfɪ) /

noun
the study of the composition, relative positions, etc, of rock strata in order to determine their geological historyAbbreviation: stratig
archaeol a vertical section through the earth showing the relative positions of the human artefacts and therefore the chronology of successive levels of occupation

Derived forms of stratigraphy

stratigrapher (strəˈtɪɡrəfə) or stratigraphist (strəˈtɪɡrəfɪst), nounstratigraphic (ˌstrætɪˈɡræfɪk) or stratigraphical, adjective
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

Scientific definitions for stratigraphy

stratigraphy
[ strə-tĭgrə-fē ]

The scientific study of rock strata, especially the distribution, deposition, correlation, and age of sedimentary rocks.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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