herpetology

noun

her·​pe·​tol·​o·​gy ˌhər-pə-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce herpetology (audio)
: a branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians
herpetological adjective
herpetologist noun

Examples of herpetology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the herpetology team, taking good care of the animals is the goal. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2024 Lead author of the new study, David Blackburn—a professor and curator of the University of Florida’s herpetology collection, described the species’ lungs in an email to Popular Science. Harri Weber, Popular Science, 22 May 2024 Jodi Rowley, herpetology department lead at the Australian Museum and at the University of New South Wales, who was not involved in the study, said there is a lack of information on the international harvesting and trade of frogs. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 One day, at the zoo’s closing time, Mrs. Pickles happened to lay her eggs in the soil in front of a herpetology keeper. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for herpetology 

Word History

Etymology

Greek herpeton quadruped, reptile, from neuter of herpetos crawling, from herpein

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of herpetology was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near herpetology

Cite this Entry

“Herpetology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herpetology. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

herpetology

noun
her·​pe·​tol·​o·​gy ˌhər-pə-ˈtäl-ə-jē How to pronounce herpetology (audio)
: a branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians

More from Merriam-Webster on herpetology

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!