botanical

[buh-tan-i-kuhl]

adjective

1. Also botanic of, pertaining to, made from, or containing plants.

   botanical survey;

   botanical drugs.

noun

1. Pharmacology.,  a drug made from part of a plant, as from roots, leaves, bark, or berries.

botanical

/ ˌbəˈtænɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to botany or plants

noun

1. any drug or pesticide that is made from parts of a plant

Other Word Forms

• botanically adverb
• nonbotanic adjective
• nonbotanical adjective
• nonbotanically adverb
• unbotanical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of botanical¹

1650–60; botanic (< Medieval Latin botanicus < Greek botanikós of plants, equivalent to botán ( ē ) herb + -ikos -ic ) + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of botanical¹

C17: from Medieval Latin botanicus , from Greek botanikos relating to plants, from botanē plant, pasture, from boskein to feed; perhaps related to Latin bōs ox, cow

Example Sentences

The Huntington shares pollen and corms of the corpse flower with other botanical gardens, distributing hundreds of specimens to maintain genetic diversity, discourage poaching and strengthen conservation networks.

From Los Angeles Times

"For botanical or natural extracts, we refer to the Linnaean system, which is the international system for scientifically naming plants and animals, and lots of those names will be Latin-based," she said.

From BBC

Think all black-and-white photos in different frames or a variety of botanical prints in the same frames.

From Los Angeles Times

Tomatoes, with their simple botanical structure and humble price tag, aren’t generally considered a luxury in the same manner as, say, the $19 Erewhon strawberry.

From Salon

This rare and endangered plant is endemic to the Sumatra Island of Indonesia, but is the crown jewel of many botanical centers across the globe.

From Salon

Related Words

• agricultural www.thesaurus.com
• floral 
• horticultural www.thesaurus.com