lichenologist
- noun
- /ˌlaɪkəˈnɑlədʒɪst/
- Specialized
- Since that time, I have gotten hooked on the world of lichen and turned into an enthusiastic amateur lichenologist.
Examples
-
The lichenologist checked the tree and recorded the first known occurrence of the species in Virginia.
-
Since that time, I have gotten hooked on the world of lichen and turned into an enthusiastic amateur lichenologist.
-
Morse recalls giving a driving tour to a visiting lichenologist who specialized in a species known to grow on pine trees in just a few states.
Surface Forms
Morphology
lichenologist = lichenology (transparent) = lichen + ology + ist
The meaning is directly compositional: a lichenologist is a specialist in lichenology, formed by adding the agentive suffix '-ist'.
Etymology
Lichenologist comes from lichen ('small living things that are a partnership of fungus and algae') and -ologist ('one who studies'), like in biologist. So a lichenologist is literally 'one who studies' lichens.