zoogenic

American  

[zoh-uh-jen-ik] / ˌzoʊ əˈdʒɛn ɪk /

Also zoogenous

adjective

1. produced or caused by animals.

2. pertaining or related to animal development or evolution.

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Other Word Forms

• zoogenesis noun
• zoogeny noun

Etymology

Origin of zoogenic

First recorded in 1860–65; zoo- + -genic

Explanation

Something caused by or derived from animals is zoogenic. For example, wool is a zoogenic material because it is made from sheep's fleece, unlike cotton, which comes from plants. Zoo- comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "animal," similar to how a zoo is a place that contains animals. The word ending -genic has several meanings, but here it means "relating to or coming from." If you had some small hills spring up overnight in your backyard, you might assume they were made by the wind, but then find out they were zoogenic because they were actually caused by gophers.