cetology

noun

ce·tol·o·gy sē-ˈtä-lə-jē

: a branch of zoology concerned with the cetaceans

cetologist

sē-ˈtä-lə-jist

noun

Word History

Etymology

Latin cetus whale

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of cetology was in 1810

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

cetoleic acid

cetology

cetomimid

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cetology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cetology. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Popular in Wordplay

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Popular Features

cetology

noun

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

hobbit

Popular in Grammar & Usage