meteorology
/ˌmiːtiəˈrɒlədʒi/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
meteōron — thing in the sky or aloft
Overview
Meaning Now
- The branch of atmospheric science that focuses on weather processes and forecasting.
Literal older meaning
the study of things raised aloft (in the air)
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
meteorologia
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term was used by Aristotle in his work 'Meteorologica', which initially covered a broad range of phenomena including comets, meteors, rain, and winds, as these were all considered 'things of the air'.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
meteōros
“lofty, raised in the air”
- Ancient Greek
meteōrologia
“the study of celestial or atmospheric phenomena”
Combination of meteōron and -logia
- New Latin
meteorologia
“scientific study of weather”
- 17th-century English
meteorology
“the study of atmospheric phenomena”
Connections
Word parts
meteōron
root
thing in the sky
-logia
suffix
study of
Related across languages
French
météorologie
meteorology
German
Meteorologie
meteorology
Explore next
Related to meteorology
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.