paleobotany

noun

pa·​leo·​bot·​a·​ny ˌpā-lē-ō-ˈbä-tə-nē How to pronounce paleobotany (audio)
-ˈbät-nē
: a branch of botany dealing with fossil plants

Examples of paleobotany in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Among these disciplines are invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology, as well as paleobotany, paleoecology and paleoclimatology. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023 Around that time, Friis met Pedersen, a young paleobotany professor in Aarhus, who was curious about the origins of flowering plants. Ben Crair, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2023 For all his deceit and disgrace, Mellaart made discoveries that led to an explosion of archaeological interest in the region, and gave a lift to the emerging science of paleobotany. Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2021 Get behind-the-scenes looks with Dr. Ron Tykoski, learn about paleobotany with Dr. Dori Contreras, hear paleontologists sound off on dinosaur movies, and participate in trivia, a Q&A session and more. Shannon Sutlief, Dallas News, 23 Apr. 2020 See All Example Sentences for paleobotany

Word History

Etymology

paleo- + botany

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paleobotany was in 1872

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Cite this Entry

“Paleobotany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paleobotany. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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