ethnobotany

noun

eth·​no·​bot·​a·​ny ˌeth-nō-ˈbä-tə-nē How to pronounce ethnobotany (audio)
-ˈbät-nē
: the plant lore of indigenous cultures
also : the systematic study of such lore
ethnobotanical adjective
ethnobotanist noun

Examples of ethnobotany in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Western garden and most of the ethnobotany areas handled the deluges well, with minimal damage. Wes Janssen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2023 What led you to include ethnobotany and botany in your artwork? San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2021 Maria studies ethnobotany—the relationship between people and plants—and has been working in the rainforests of Ecuador for more than 25 years, including projects on oil exploration in the Amazon and organic coffee production in the Galápagos. National Geographic, 29 Nov. 2019 At Brown's Sacramento office, bookshelves sag under the weight of volumes covering an array of topics a hundred miles wide: money, food, sports, Islam, ethnobotany. Katy Steinmetz, Time, 7 Sep. 2017 For the first time, classes in human anatomy, microbiology and ethnobotany will be offered this fall to attract more students interested in pursuing careers as dentists, pharmacists, and medical doctors. Eric Stirgus, ajc, 14 Aug. 2017 Activities will resume with face painting, music, raffles, refreshments, bog walks and talks about mammals, birds, rare plants and ethnobotany. Brian E. Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7 July 2017 Evan (Brionne Davis), an American biologist considered the father of modern ethnobotany, the film imagines their parallel journeys, decades apart, seeking the yakruna, a sacred healing plant. Stephen Holden, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethnobotany.' 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

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethnobotany was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near ethnobotany

Cite this Entry

“Ethnobotany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnobotany. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on ethnobotany

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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