geography
Meanings
- The study of the physical properties of the earth, including how humans affect and are affected by them.
- An atlas or gazetteer.
- A description of the earth: a treatise or textbook on geography.
- Terrain: the physical properties of a region of the earth.
- Any subject considered in terms of its physical distribution.
- Similar books, studies, or regions concerning other planets.
- The physical arrangement of any place, particularly (UK, slang) a house.
- The lavatory: a room used for urination and defecation.
- The relative arrangement of the parts of anything.
- A territory: a geographical area as a field of business or market sector.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Pre-Greek der. Proto-Hellenic *gayader. Ancient Greek γαῖᾰ (gaîă)clip. Ancient Greek γῆ (gê) Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-) Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-) Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) Ancient Greek -γρᾰ́φος (-grắphos) Ancient Greek γεωγρᾰ́φος (geōgrắphos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) ▲ Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-) ▲ Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā) Ancient Greek -η (-ē) Ancient Greek γραφή (graphḗ) Ancient Greek -γρᾰφῐ́ᾱ (-grăphĭ́ā) Ancient Greek γεωγρᾰφῐ́ᾱ (geōgrăphĭ́ā)bor. Latin geōgraphia Middle French géographie English geography From Middle French géographie, from Latin geōgraphia, from Ancient Greek γεωγραφία (geōgraphía, “a description of the earth”), from γῆ (gê, “earth”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write”). Use in reference to lavatories derives from the mid-20th century euphemism "show one the geography of the house" in reference to pointing out the toilets.