geo-, ge- +

(Greek: earth, land, soil; world; Gaia (Greek), Gaea (Latin), "earth goddess")

geonyctitropism (s) (noun), geonyctitropisms (pl)
The condition of an orientation movement in plants during darkness as they respond to gravity: The situation of geonyctitropism can be exemplified in cannabis plants when the leaves take on a downward position at night.
geoparallotropic (adjective) (not comparable)
Characterized by an orientation movement of an organ or structure to bring it parallel to the soil surface: Geoparallotropic roots of certain plants are lateral to the top of the ground, whereas tap roots grow perpendicular to the surface of the ground.
geoparallotropism (s) (noun) (no pl)
An orientation movement of an organ or structure to bring it parallel to the soil surface: Geoparallotropism can be seen in creepers that have long, fragile, and weak stems or roots.
geopathology (s) (noun) (no pl)
The science or theory concerned with the harmful effects on the body by environment, topography, climate, food and water supplies, and ecological factors: Geopathology is the study of the peculiarities of diseases caused by the Earth's radiation on humans, plants, and animals.
geoperception (s) (noun), geoperceptions (pl)
The capacity of an organism to perceive and respond to gravity: Plant roots normally grow downwards into the soil (positive gravitropism) , while the shoots grow upward away from gravity (negative gravitropism). This phenomenon of geoperception of plants to respond to gravity is due to amyloplasts in the plants.
geophage (s) (noun), geophages (pl)
A living thing that injests clay, chalk, soil, etc.: In the story Mary's was reading, the strange creature, a geophage, consumed large amounts of earth and lived in a dark cave in the mountain.
geophagia (s) (noun) (no pl)
1. The consumption of earth, dirt, clay, or chalk: The practice of geophagia is especially typical of earthworms eating soil. .
2. A form of pica, or the ingestion of chalk, clay, dirt, sand, or ice: Geophagia can be a pathological disorder when a person has a peculiar appetite or craving for substances that are not edible.
geophagism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The ingestion of soil or clay: In the story Susan was reading, the daughter of the protagonist had a habit of geophagism which annoyed her parents very much!
geophagist (s) (noun), geophagists (pl)
Someone who consumes soil, clay, or earth: Little Sam wanted to eat some soil like the earthworms did, which wasn't good for him, and he found out that such a person was termed a geophagist.

A geophagist is an individual who has a form of pica, or the indiscriminate craving for and consumption of substances, such as paint chips, clay, plaster, or dirt.

geophagous (adjective) (not comparable)
Regarding the consumption of soil; deriving nutrients from soil or the sediment: Geophagous ingestion pertains to eating earthy substances like clay which can be a result of starvation, lack of something in the diet, or possibly as a result of a mental illness.

A page about a pica eating More details about geophagy.

geophagy (s) (noun) (no pl)
The consumption of soil, dirt, etc.: Geophagy is known to be the habit of eating earthy substances and believed to help out or augment a mineral deficiency in one's diet.
geophilic (adjective), more geophilic, most geophilic
1. Pertaining to the growth of life forms that thrive in soil: Fungi, algae, and protozoa are all geophilic organisms.
2. Relating to plants that fruit below the soil surface: Geophilic peanuts, classified as a fruit, are the only fruit that grow under the surface of the earth and are, in addition, the plant's seeds.
geophilomorpha (pl) (noun)
Small elongated centipedes of the order Geophilomorpha: Geophilomorpha of the class Chilopoda live in soil and under stones and have more than 30 pairs of legs.
geophilous (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Regarding an organism that dwells and thrives or grows in soil: A number of geophilous animals love the ground, particularly the Geophilia or land-snails or geophilous insects.
2. A reference to plants that have fruit below the surface of the earth or soil, or to animals more properly referred to as burrowing: Some geophilous mammals that dig tunnels include the rats, mice, rabbits, and moles.
geophone (s) (noun), geophones (pl)
1. A seismic device used to detect vibrations in the Earth: A geophone is an instrument used for detecting sound waves underground.

A geophone is a seismic transducer that responds to motions of ice, soil, or rock at locations on or below the surface of the ground.
2. In music, a drum that is filled with pellets: Jack swung the geophone around to make sounds like earth shifting from one place to another.


Available for further enlightenment: the Earth, Words from the Myths.


Cross references of word families related directly, or indirectly, to: "land, ground, fields, soil, dirt, mud, clay, earth (world)": agra-; agrest-; agri-; agro-; argill-; choro-; chthon-; epeiro-; glob-; lut-; myso-; pedo-; pel-; rhyp-; soil-; sord-; terr-.