# speleology

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The scientific study of caves.
2. The recreational activity of exploring caves.

## Etymology
From French spéléologie, coined by Émile Rivière in 1890. The word can be broken down as speleo- + -logy.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/speleology