Definition of "pedology" []

• The study of the physical and mental development and characteristics of children. (noun)
• The scientific study of soils, including their origins, characteristics, and uses. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "For that matter, the word "pedology" means either the study of child behavior or the study of soil, depending on the context."
• "His main scientific interests are: forest pedology, influence of plants on pedogenesis, mineral weathering in soil, carbon sequestration in forest soils, effects of forest fires on soil properties."
• "The tempo of scientific investigation increased rapidly after 1938, with emphasis on specialized fields such as limnology, wildlife management, ecology, pedology and archeology."