botany

noun

bot·​a·​ny ˈbä-tə-nē How to pronounce botany (audio)
ˈbät-nē
plural botanies
1
: a branch of biology dealing with plant life
2
a
: plant life
b
: the properties and life phenomena exhibited by a plant, plant type, or plant group
3
: a botanical treatise or study
especially : a particular system of botany
botanist
ˈbä-tə-nist How to pronounce botany (audio)
ˈbät-nist
noun

Examples of botany in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Created between 1478 to 1519, the Codex Atlanticus’ writing and sketches cover everything from weaponry to botany. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2023 William Coker, the university’s first professor of botany, began work on the gardens in 1903, and in the 1920s expanded into East Asian trees and shrubs. Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Back then, women who were interested in the natural world, even very wealthy women, maybe even particularly very wealthy women, were often pushed to pursue gardening or writing, maybe to study botany, which was seen as relatively feminine. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 4 Jan. 2024 The marbling coincided with another nascent interest: colonial botany and its hierarchical, Eurocentric system of naming and categorizing plant life. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024 Bartram was thus a trailblazer in a stunning array of disciplines: botany, ecology, zoology, ethnography, ornithology. Kiley Bense, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Evolutionary theory, botany, geography, physics, hydrology, countless poems, paintings, essays, and stories—all trying to make sense of the tree. Paul Ford, WIRED, 2 Jan. 2024 Poinsett was interested in botany and sent shrubs of the wildflower back to the U.S. Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Sour Cream 'n' Onion Potato Salad In botany an onion is known as genus Allium, a name first given in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, who established the naming system for the natural order. Mark Kurlansky, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'botany.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

botanic botanical + -y entry 2

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of botany was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near botany

Cite this Entry

“Botany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botany. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

botany

noun
bot·​a·​ny ˈbät-ᵊn-e How to pronounce botany (audio)
ˈbät-ne
1
: a branch of biology dealing with plant life
2
a
: plant life (as of a given region)
b
: the biology of a plant or plant group

Medical Definition

botany

noun
bot·​a·​ny ˈbät-ᵊn-ē, ˈbät-nē How to pronounce botany (audio)
plural botanies
1
: a branch of biology dealing with plant life
2
a
: plant life
b
: the properties and life phenomena exhibited by a plant, plant type, or plant group
3
: a botanical treatise or study
especially : a particular system of botany

More from Merriam-Webster on botany

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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