botanize

verb

bot·​a·​nize ˈbä-tə-ˌnīz How to pronounce botanize (audio)
botanized; botanizing

intransitive verb

: to collect plants for botanical investigation : to study plants in their natural habitat
She was preparing to go botanizing with Conservation International's Robin Foster in the scientifically unexplored depths of the reserve.Adrian Forsyth
The group botanized along the coast.

transitive verb

: to explore for botanical purposes
He spent the day botanizing the park.
botanizer noun

Examples of botanize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Armed with magnifying glasses, the group travels along a busy route whose traffic doesn’t deter them from botanizing. Irene Wanner, The Seattle Times, 19 May 2019 In this country, Linnaeus was enraptured, botanizing among the unique high elevation tundra flowers. James Prosek, New York Times, 16 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'botanize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of botanize was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near botanize

Cite this Entry

“Botanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botanize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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