phenology

noun phe·nol·o·gy \ fi-ˈnä-lə-jē \

|Updated on: 1 Jul 2018

Definition of phenology

1 : a branch of science dealing with the relations between climate and periodic biological phenomena (such as bird migration or plant flowering)

2 : periodic biological phenomena that are correlated with climatic conditions

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phenological

play \ˌfē-nə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ adjective

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phenologically

play \ˌfē-nə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of phenology from the Web

Trends in spring for Cleveland from a weather perspective While most scientists use phenology to describe the onset of spring, many Ohioans associate spring with warmer temperatures and drenching downpours.

— justin madden, cleveland.com, "Parma police find missing 12-year-old boy with autism," 28 Feb. 2018
The start of spring is usually described in terms of phenology - key seasonal changes seen in plants and animals from year to year, also known as nature's calendar.

— justin madden, cleveland.com, "Parma police find missing 12-year-old boy with autism," 28 Feb. 2018
The program observes plants and animals and generates long-term phenology data.

— kurt snibbe, Orange County Register, "Why it matters that Southern California is having a late spring," 12 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phenology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.