Cavernologists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A scientist who studies large underground caves and their formations
2. an expert investigating the geological and ecological aspects of subterranean environments
3. a researcher focused on the processes shaping cavern systems and their ecosystems

Etymology: The word is a compound built from three parts. "Cavern" comes through Old French from Latin "caverna," a derivative of "cavus," meaning "hollow." The "-ology" element comes from Greek "logos," meaning "study" or "discourse," and "-ist" marks a practitioner. Put together, the word names someone who studies hollows in the earth. Its closest relative is "speleologist," which takes a different route to the same idea. "Speleo-" comes from Greek "spēlaion," meaning "cave," so the two words are essentially the same coinage built from Latin and Greek roots respectively. Writers who want a more formal or less common term for the field can reach for either one, and speleology is the standard name for the discipline.

Synonyms: spelunkers, cave explorers, cave scientists, cave researchers, troglologists