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Glite Dictionary
malacology

malacology

9.9
The study of soft-bodied animals like snails and clams
  • noun
  • /məˈlækəˌlədʒi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : malacología
  • As a student of malacology, she dedicated her research to understanding the life cycles of various mollusks.

Examples

  • He returned to Florida, earned a bachelor's in biology, and a Ph.D. in malacology.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The study of malacology has revealed many interesting facts about the behavior of octopuses.

  • He had realized, finally, that he would only understand so much, that malacology only led him downward, to more questions.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • At the conference, experts discussed the latest findings in malacology and its implications for conservation.

How Serious

malacology
  • Specialized
9.9
conchology
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

malacology singular
malacologies plural

Morphology

malacology = malaco + logy

Although the word is built from the combining form 'malaco-' and the suffix '-logy', the first element is not a transparent modern English word, so an average learner would not be able to infer the meaning reliably.

Etymology

Malacology comes from the Greek root malakos, meaning 'soft', and the ending -logy, meaning 'study'. So, malacology is the study of soft-bodied animals called mollusks, like snails and clams.