acanthology

[ak-uhn-thol-uh-jee]

noun Biology.

the study of spines, as in sea urchins or certain spiny-headed worms, particularly as they relate to taxonomic classification.

Origin:
acantho- + -logy

Related forms

a·can·tho·log·i·cal

[uh-kan-thuh-loj-i-kuhl] , adjective

ac·an·thol·o·gist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Acanthology is always a great word to know.

So is clade. Does it mean:

a taxonomic group of organisms classified together on the basis of homologous features traced to a common ancestor

the science of heredity, dealing with characteristics of related organisms resulting from the interaction of their genes and the environment

Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon

Main Entry:	acanthology
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	the scientific study of spines
Etymology:	Greek 'thorn'

Word Dynamo Rating For Acanthology

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ac·an·thol·o·gy