Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The branch of zoology that deals with reptiles and amphibians.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The science of reptiles, in a broad sense —that is, of reptiles proper and batrachians; the natural history of reptiles.
- n. Reptiles collectively: as, the herpetology of Borneo.
- n. Also, erroneously, erpetology.
Wiktionary
- n. The branch of biology dealing with reptiles (Reptilia) or amphibians.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The natural history of reptiles; that branch of zoölogy which relates to reptiles, including their structure, classification, and habits.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians
Etymologies
- From Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν (herpeton, "reptile") + -logy (suffix indicating a field of study or work) (Wiktionary)
- Greek herpeton, reptile (from herpein, to creep) + -logy. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“So even today, people interested in herpetology are afflicted with the most basic of problems: a lack of the right kind of literature.”
“I was bit by a snake at the woodshed and I dare anyone to claim I am not deserving of an honorary degree in herpetology.”
McCain, Supporters Slam Clark and Obama Campaign - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com
“He went on to talk about his work, and clarified that while he was an expert in herpetology, this had nothing to do with STDs, but in fact, amphibians and reptiles.”
“Experts have found 300 dead frogs and believe hundreds more have perished since the fungus surfaced in late February, said Gerardo Garcia, director of the herpetology department at the British-based Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.”
“Lee Fitzgerald, a herpetology professor at Texas A&M University who has studied the lizard since 1994, said the lizard population has declined in areas crisscrossed with roads and oil-well pads.”
“ Neither herpetology or other of life's more studied reflections for this hurried pilgrim, not yet anyway.”
“As Spooky took a couple of photos, it suddenly occurred to me that it wasn't an eel, at all, or any oother sort of fish, but an animal I'd not seen since college, some twenty years ago, when I was taking herpetology and ecology classes.”
“P.S. I've studied herpetology (seriously) for over a decade, including writing journal articles and working for two years at a zoo.”
“Is she real?' is the most common question from visitors, says Phil Colclough, assistant curator of herpetology at the zoo.”
“I believe in evolution, Michael, because for years my hobby was herpetology.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘herpetology’.
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phrontistery - h
from phrontistery.info
hysteresis, hyrax, hyoid, hymnody, hymnal, hylicism, hydric, hyalopterous, hyaloid, hyalography, hyaline, hyacinthine and 568 more...
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the first list
an immense, grandiloquent list that loads like a thousand years sentence in stone. new words are in the other lists.
ridiculous, brummagem, predicament, sanctimonious, vapid, eschew, admonish, auspicious, capitulation, enumerate, lachrymose, tenet and 1648 more...
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Words of Dinosaurology
This quickly got bigger and weirder than originally intended, so now it's housing terms that relate to the study of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. See also Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, Ichthy...
zygopophyses, ziphodont, plesiomorphic, cleidoic, endothermy, ectothermy, viviparous, vertebrae, cervical, dorsal, sacral, caudal and 628 more...
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Links Spelling Bee 2012
230 Words
gargalesthesia, bondieuserie, aguinaldo, alcazar, allosaurus, ambidexterity, ameliorate, anachronism, androcentric, ankylosaurus, anthropology, apartheid and 123 more...
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Greek Spelling Bee List
need to know these words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lethargy, biopsy, enthusiasm, odyssey, synonym, calypso, character, eclectic, chronology, cosmetic, cynical, hypothesis and 128 more...
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ologies
technology, zymology, zygology, zoophytology, zoophysiology, zoopathology, zoonosology, zoology, zoogeology, zooarchaeology, xylology, vulcanology and 850 more...
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rememberers
prolix, ageusia, animadversion, anodyne, antic, arabesque, beadle, brachymetropia, colophon, desquamation, diaphoresis, diegesis and 3251 more...
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ologies, ographies, onomies, &c.
biology, cartography, zoology, sociology, psychology, hagiography, radiography, biography, anthropology, archaeology, chromatography, mythology and 24 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for herpetology.
milosrdenstvi A good candidate, I think, for "Not as bad as it sounds" or however that list was. The two words, however, do derive from the same Greek for "creeping". Jul 4, 2011
chained_bear Overheard today. Friend: "Is herpetology the study of snakes?"
Other friend: "Yes. Not to be confused with the study of herpes." Apr 19, 2008