Main Entry:

ecol·o·gy

Pronunciation:

\i-ˈkä-lə-jē, e-\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural ecol·o·gies

Etymology:

German Ökologie, from öko- eco- + -logie -logy

Date:

1873

1: a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments2: the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment3: human ecology4: environment, climate <the moral ecology> ; also : an often delicate or intricate system or complex <the ecology of language>

— eco·log·i·cal \ˌē-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl, ˌe-kə-\ also eco·log·ic \-jik\ adjective

— eco·log·i·cal·ly \-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— ecol·o·gist \i-ˈkä-lə-jist, e-\ noun