teratology

noun

ter·​a·​tol·​o·​gy ˌter-ə-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce teratology (audio)
: the study of malformations or serious deviations from the normal type in developing organisms
teratologist
ˌter-ə-ˈtä-lə-jist How to pronounce teratology (audio)
noun

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French tératologie, from Greek terat-, téras "sign sent by the gods, portent, marvel, monster" + French -o- -o- + -logie -logy — more at terato-

Note: As a term in the life sciences introduced by the French zoologist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1805-61) in "De la nécessité et des moyens de créer pour les Monstres une nomenclature rationelle et méthodique," Annales des sciences naturelles, tome 20 (1830), p. 326. It is uncertain if Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was aware of the ancient Greek word teratología "account of marvelous things, marvelous tales," formed from the same elements but with an entirely different sense.

First Known Use

circa 1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teratology was circa 1842

Dictionary Entries Near teratology

teratological

teratology

teratoma

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Teratology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teratology. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

teratology

noun
ter·​a·​tol·​o·​gy ˌter-ə-ˈtäl-ə-jē How to pronounce teratology (audio)
plural teratologies
: the study of malformations or serious deviations from the normal type in organisms

More from Merriam-Webster on teratology

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about teratology

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