thanatological

than·a·tol·o·gy

[than-uh-tol-uh-jee]
noun
1.
the study of death and its surrounding circumstances, as in forensic medicine.
2.
Psychiatry. the study of the effects of death and dying, especially the investigation of ways to lessen the suffering and address the needs of the terminally ill and their survivors.

Origin:
1835–45; thanato- + -logy

than·a·to·log·i·cal [than-uh-tl-oj-i-kuhl] , adjective
than·a·tol·o·gist, noun
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
thanatology (ˌθænəˈtɒlədʒɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
the scientific study of death and the phenomena and practices relating to it
 
[C19: from Greek thanatos death + -logy]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Thanatological is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. 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 arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

thanatology
1842, "scientific study of death," from Gk. thanatos "death" (from PIE *dhwene- "to disappear, die," perhaps from root meaning "dark, cloudy") + -logia "treating of." Thanatism (1900) is the belief that at death the soul ceases to exist. Hence also Thanatos (1935), the "death instinct" in Freudian psychology.
In 1970s, some undertakers made a bid to be called thanatologists.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

thanatology than·a·tol·o·gy (thān'ə-tŏl'ə-jē)
n.
The study of death and dying, especially of their psychological and social aspects.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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