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A.Word.A.Day--garbology

This week's theme: Uncommon words with common suffixes or prefixes

garbology (gar-BOL-uh-jee)

noun: The study of a society or culture by examining what it discards.

[From garbage (which was originally the word for offal from fowls) + -logy (study).]

"Though garbology remains a relatively unplumbed subject, several colleges and universities offer courses that look at what people throw away and how it reflects who they are."
Tina Kelley; Class at NYU Looks for Deeper Meaning at Fresh Kills; The New York Times; Mar 23, 2000.

See more usage examples of garbology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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