ecology
/ɪˈkɒlədʒi
/ /ɛˈkɒlədʒi/noun [mass noun]
1The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.Masters and doctoral programs feature ecosystem ecology courses in restoration....
- It always interested me why that happened, and why it happened at the same time that the science of ecology was born.
- The emphasis is on horticultural aspects of reproductive biology and pollination ecology.
1.1 (Ecology) The political movement concerned with protection of the environment.The women's and ecology movements are therefore one....
- He has long been widely cited by many different branches of the radical ecology movement.
Origin
Late 19th century (originally as oecology): from Greek oikos 'house' + -logy.
The word ecology is thought to have been invented in 1869 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel. Originally spelled oecology, it is based on the Greek word oikos ‘house’—in this case the natural environment is seen as the home of all the plants and animals that live within it.