Nearby Words

palynology

[pal-uh-nol-uh-jee]

pal·y·nol·o·gy

[pal-uh-nol-uh-jee]
noun
the study of live and fossil spores, pollen grains, and similar plant structures.

Origin:
1940–45; < Greek palýn(ein) to sprinkle, scatter (akin to pálē dust, Latin pollen; see pollen) + -o- + -logy

pal·y·no·log·i·cal [pal-uh-nl-oj-i-kuhl] , adjective
pal·y·no·log·i·cal·ly, adverb
pal·y·nol·o·gist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To palynology

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Palynology has a plethora of syllables.
So is floccinaucinihilipilification. Does it mean:
a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C14H9Cl5, usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pediculicide: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S.
the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).
Collins
World English Dictionary
palynology (ˌpælɪˈnɒlədʒɪ)
 
n
the study of living and fossil pollen grains and plant spores
 
[C20: from Greek palunein to scatter + -logy]
 
palynological
 
adj
 
paly'nologist
 
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
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
palynology   (pāl'ə-nŏl'ə-jē)  Pronunciation Key 
The scientific study of spores and pollen, both living and fossilized. Palynology helps improve knowledge of ecosystems in both the recent and distant past, since pollen and spores are extremely durable, unlike many other plant parts.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

palynology

scientific discipline concerned with the study of plant pollen and spores and certain microscopic planktonic organisms, in both living and fossil form. The field is associated with the plant sciences as well as with the geologic sciences, notably those aspects dealing with stratigraphy, historical geology, and paleontology. Accordingly, the scope of palynologic research is extremely broad, ranging from the analysis of pollen morphology with electron microscopes to the study of organic microfossils (palynomorphs) extracted from ancient coals.

Learn more about palynology with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature