From Greek 'botanē' (herb, fodder), from 'boskein' (to feed) — originally pasture-plant science; Cook named Botany Bay for its specimens.
The scientific study of plants, including their physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification, and economic importance.
From Greek botane (herb, grass, fodder, pasture plants), from boskein (to feed, to graze, to pasture), from PIE *gweh3- (to go — used of animals going out to feed). Botany is literally the knowledge of fodder plants, and the science grew from practical knowledge of which plants were edible or medicinal for livestock and humans. The Greek suffix -ike (techne) formed the phrase botanike techne (the botanical art), adopted into New
'Botany Bay' in Australia was named by Captain Cook in 1770 because of the extraordinary number of new plant species Joseph Banks collected there. The name is directly from 'botany' — it was literally a bay defined by its plants. And 'botany' itself began as a word about animal fodder, not