Botany

UK: /ˈbɒtəni/ US: /ˈbɑtəni/ ,(bot′n ē)

Inflections of 'botany' (n): npl: botanies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

bot•a•ny /ˈbɑtəni/   n. [uncountable]

1. Botany the biological science of plant life.

See -botan-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

bot•a•ny  (bot′n ē), n., pl. -nies. 

1. Botany the science of plants;
   the branch of biology that deals with plant life.
2. Botany the plant life of a region:
   the botany of Alaska.
3. Botany the biology of a plant or plant group:
   the botany of deciduous trees.
4. (sometimes cap.) See Botany wool. 

• botan(ic) (see botanical) + -y³ 1690–1700

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

botany / ˈbɒtənɪ/ noun ( -nies)

1. the study of plants, including their classification, structure, physiology, ecology, and economic importance
2. the plant life of a particular region or time
3. the biological characteristics of a particular group of plants

Etymology: 17th Century: from botanical; compare astronomy, astronomical

ˈbotanist noun