Gastronomics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The art and science of good eating, covering the study of food, cooking, and the pleasures of the table
2. The body of knowledge concerned with fine dining, the preparation of food, and its enjoyment as a cultural pursuit
3. The discipline that examines food and cookery in relation to taste, culture, and the enjoyment of eating well

Etymology: "Gastronomics" is simply a variant of "gastronomy," and its story begins with the Greek stomach. Ancient Greek "gastḗr" meant "stomach" or "belly," and it combined with "nómos," a word that could mean "law," "rule," or "knowledge" depending on context. The result, "gastronomía," named a body of knowledge about food and eating rather than the act of cooking itself. That Greek compound passed into French as "gastronomie," and English later borrowed it from there. The English word therefore carries a French polish, and the Greek sense of "nómos" as a system of rules survives in the modern meaning of the art of eating as something to be studied and practised with care.

Synonyms: gastronomy, cookery, cuisine, culinary arts