geophagy

Plural: geophagies

Noun

• The practice of eating earthy substances, such as clay or soil.
• eating earth, clay, chalk; occurs in some primitive tribes, sometimes in cases of nutritional deficiency or obsessive behavior
• The practice of eating earthy substances such as clay and chalk, often during famines or thought to augment a mineral-deficient diet.

Examples

• Playing GEOPHAGY felt adventurous, but thankfully, no one actually had to eat the tiles.

Synonyms

geophagia

Related Words

pica