geophagia

1 9.9

Eating soil or clay regularly, often because the body needs minerals

noun
/ˌdʒiːəˈfeɪdʒə/

Specialized

: geofagia

Some animals practice geophagia to supplement their mineral intake.

Examples

Her geophagia has raised concerns among her friends.
Some cultures believe that geophagia can help individuals with nutritional deficiencies by providing minerals.
Doctors may diagnose geophagia when a patient persistently ingests soil or clay.
Geologists have studied cases of geophagia in various cultures around the world.
Many cultures have practices related to geophagia.
Children in some regions practice geophagia out of curiosity or as a way to explore their environment.
In severe cases, geophagia may be a sign of an underlying psychological issue that needs to be addressed.

Synonyms

geophagy

vsgeophagia

Specialized

1 9.9

Eating dirt, clay, or chalk, often to get minerals missing from the diet

is focused on habitual human eating linked to deficiency or psychological causes

Surface Forms

geophagia singular

geophagias plural

Morphology

geophagia = geo + phag + ia

The meaning is directly built from the classical combining forms for 'earth' and 'eat', but the term is specialized and not fully transparent for many average learners.

Etymology

The word geophagia comes from the Greek parts geo- meaning 'earth' and -phagia meaning 'eating'. So, geophagia describes the habit of eating earth or clay, which is why doctors use this word for people who regularly ingest soil.