osteology

noun

os·​te·​ol·​o·​gy ˌä-stē-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce osteology (audio)
1
: a branch of anatomy dealing with the bones
2
: the bony structure of an organism
osteological adjective
osteologist noun

Examples of osteology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The work could aid researchers in diverse fields involving bone, such as osteology, forensic medicine and archaeology. Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2018 While Ferry is not the only bone seller in the market, his TikTok videos have sparked a conversation about his lack of education in osteology -- the study of bone anatomy -- as well as the ethics and legality of his company and the commercial bone industry, in general. David Toledo, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2021 Another chance encounter sparks his affair with Jess, a specialist in vertebrate osteology at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History. Emily Bingham, The Courier-Journal, 17 Mar. 2023 Christopher Aris is a biological anthropologist who currently teaches anatomy and osteology at the University of Sheffield. Christopher Aris, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2021 Since then, 26 burials have been found and four sets of remains have been exhumed and taken to an on-site osteology lab, Tulsa officials said. Raja Razek, CNN, 12 Nov. 2022 When the 13 bones were shipped to Fiji and studied by Dr. D.W. Hoodless of the Central Medical School the next year, forensic osteology was still limited, Jantz said. Marwa Eltagouri, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Mar. 2018 The osteology of Neovenator salerii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Wealden Group (Barremian) of the Isle of Wight. Darren Naish, Scientific American Blog Network, 16 June 2017 For those of you with no medical background, osteology is the scientific study of bones and this museum is chock full of them. Jennifer D., WIRED, 13 Sep. 2011

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

Word History

Etymology

New Latin osteologia, from Greek, description of bones, from oste- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of osteology was in 1670

Dictionary Entries Near osteology

Cite this Entry

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

Medical Definition

osteology

noun
os·​te·​ol·​o·​gy ˌäs-tē-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce osteology (audio)
plural osteologies
1
: a branch of anatomy dealing with the bones
2
: the bony structure of an organism
osteological adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on osteology

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