geophagia

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/d͡ʒiəˈfeɪdʒə//d͡ʒiəˈfeɪdʒiə/

noun

Consumption of clay, chalk or dirt.

Similar
picageophagy
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

noungeophagia (uncountable)
  1. uncountableConsumption of clay, chalk or dirt.

    In fact, expectant mothers in many sub-Saharan African cultures routinely eat soils (a practice called geophagia).

    2006 May 27, NewScientist, page 54, column 1

    Synonyms: pica

Synonyms & antonyms

nounConsumption of clay, chalk or dirt.

Similar
pica

More synonyms by meaning

nouneating earth, clay, chalk; occurs in some primitive tribes, sometimes in cases of nutritional deficiency or obsessive behavior

Similar
geophagy
Broader
pica
Also see
chthonophagiageophagy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From geo- + -phagia.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

geophagia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geophagia

MLA

“geophagia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geophagia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “geophagia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geophagia.

Source: geophagia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.