Word
zoology
Phoneticszo·ol·o·gy
US/zoʊˈɑɫədʒi/
UK/zuːˈɒlədʒi/
Definitions
01the study of animals
n. the branch of science that studies animals and how they live.
n. the scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals.
“She decided to study zoology because she wanted to work with endangered species in Africa.”
“Advances in molecular zoology have allowed researchers to reclassify several species based on genetic markers rather than physical traits alone.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the field of study; countable when referring to the animal life of a specific region.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse the pronunciation; the first syllable is 'zo-' (like 'go'), not 'zoo-' (like the place where animals are kept).
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02animal life of a region
n. the specific types of animals that live in a certain place or time.
n. the animal life of a particular area or geological period.
“The local zoology of the island is unique because it was isolated for millions of years.”
“The professor's lecture focused on the prehistoric zoology of the region, specifically the megafauna that disappeared after the last ice age.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Often used with a definite article or a possessive adjective.
Teaching tip
In this context, 'zoology' is a more technical synonym for 'fauna'.
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Real-World Examples
“He studied biology, zoology and botany at Cardiff University, graduating in 1962 and later gaining a master’s, then a PhD at Aston University in 1975.” Etymology
From Ancient Greek ζῷον (zōîon, “animal”) + λόγος (lógos, “knowledge”). By surface analysis, zoo- + -logy. Piecewise doublet of biology.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/zoology