ethology

noun

the study of animal behavior with emphasis on the behavioral patterns that occur in natural environments.

Origin:
1895–1900; earlier, as the study of relations between an organism and its environment < French éthologie, coined by French zoologist I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1805–61); see ethos, -logy

Related forms

e·tho·log·i·cal

[ee-thuh-loj-i-kuh

l, eth-uh-] , adjective

e·tho·log·i·cal·ly, adverb

e·thol·o·gist, noun

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10

Ethology is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

ethology (ɪˈθɒlədʒɪ)

—n
	the study of the behaviour of animals in their normal environment

[C17 (in the obsolete sense: mimicry): via Latin from Greek ēthologia, from ēthos character; current sense, C19]

ethological

—*adj*

etho'logically

—*adv*

e'thologist

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ethology

from Gk. ethologia, from ethos "character" (see ethos).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

ethology

(ĭ-thŏl'ə-jē, ē-thŏl'-) Pronunciation Key
The scientific study of animal behavior, especially as it occurs in a natural environment.