zoophysics, n.

zoophysics
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoophysics_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2017

# zoophysicsnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zoophysics mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zoophysics. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How is the noun zoophysics pronounced?

#### British English

/ˌzuːə(ʊ)ˈfɪzɪks/
zoo-oh-FIZ-iks
/ˌzəʊə(ʊ)ˈfɪzɪks/
zoh-oh-FIZ-iks

#### U.S. English

/ˌzoʊəˈfɪzɪks/
zoh-uh-FIZ-iks
/ˌzuəˈfɪzɪks/
zoo-uh-FIZ-iks

### Where does the noun zoophysics come from?

Earliest known use

1880s

The earliest known use of the noun zoophysics is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for zoophysics is from 1887, in the writing of E. Marwedel.

### Nearby entries

1. zoophile, n. 1885–
2. zoophilia, n. 1894–
3. zoophilic, adj. 1884–
4. zoophilism, n. 1867–
5. zoophilist, n. 1829–
6. zoophilite, n. 1879–
7. zoophilous, adj. 1881–
8. zoophily, n. 1830–
9. zoophobia, n. 1888–
10. zoophysical, adj. 1820–
11. zoophysics, n.1887–
12. zoophysiology, n. 1803–
13. zoophytal, adj. 1756–
14. zoophyte, n. 1606–
15. zoophytic, adj. 1808–
16. zoophytical, adj. 1779–
17. zoophytish, adj. 1854–80
18. zoophytist, n. 1814–62
19. zoophytography, n. 1735–1905
20. zoophytoid, adj. 1854–83
21. zoophytological, adj. 1823–

## Etymology

After German Zoophysik (1850 or earlier).

## Meaning & use

Now chiefly historical.

1. 1887–
   The scientific study of the physical structure of animals; comparative anatomy.
   1. 1887

      > Prof. Thierry William Preyer..joined the university at Bonn, in 1865, as lecturer in zoochemistry and zoophysics.

      E. Marwedel, Conscious Motherhood ii. xix. 552
   2. 1999

      > He listed bionomics as one of the five branches of zoological study, along with morphography; zoo-dynamics, zoo-physics, and zoo-chemistry.

      Journal Hist. Biology vol. 32 469
   animals historical
   1. tetrapodology 1764–1860
      A treatise on quadrupeds; the branch of zoology concerned with quadrupeds.
   2. zoophysiology 1803–
      Animal physiology.
   3. animal science 1819–
      (Originally) the branch of natural science or biology dealing with the animal kingdom (= zoology, n. 1) (now rare); spec. (in later use) zoological…
   4. zoochemistry 1835–
      The biochemistry of animals.
   5. animal psychology 1838–
      The study of animal behaviour; ethology.
   6. marine zoology 1840–
      The study of animals living in the sea.
   7. palaeozoology 1843–
      The branch of zoology that deals with extinct and fossil animals.
   8. zoogeography 1851–
      The geographical distribution of animals; the branch of science dealing with this. Cf. biogeography, n., phytogeography, n.
   9. cainozoology 1861–
      (See quot.)
   10. zoography 1869–
       The geographical distribution of animals; the branch of science dealing with this; = zoogeography, n.
   11. ethology 1874–
       Zoology. Originally: the scientific study of the natural history or ecology of animals (now historical and rare). In later use: the scientific…
   12. zoophysics 1887–
       The scientific study of the physical structure of animals; comparative anatomy.
   13. animal behaviour 1888–
       The behaviour of animals; (in later use) esp. the study of this as a branch of zoology (cf. ethology, n. 4).
   14. neontology 1889–
       The branch of biology, esp. of zoology, concerned with extant or recently living organisms, as opposed to fossil or extinct forms. Often contrasted…
   15. zoopraxography 1891–
       a. The branch of knowledge that deals with animal motion. b. A series of photographs of a moving subject, esp. an animal, used to portray…
   16. ethnozoology 1899–
       The traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning animals; the scientific study or description of this.
   17. behavioural scientist 1940–
       An expert in or student of one or more of the behavioural sciences.
   18. zoosemiotics 1963–
       (In plural with singular agreement) the study of communication through semiosis or the use of signs, within and across animal species.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˌzuːə(ʊ)ˈfɪzɪks/
zoo-oh-FIZ-iks
/ˌzəʊə(ʊ)ˈfɪzɪks/
zoh-oh-FIZ-iks

### U.S. English

/ˌzoʊəˈfɪzɪks/
zoh-uh-FIZ-iks
/ˌzuəˈfɪzɪks/
zoo-uh-FIZ-iks

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

Originally published as part of the entry for zoo-, comb. form

zoo-, comb. form was revised in June 2017.