Origin: A borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element. Etymons: Greek πτωχο-, -logycomb. form.
Etymology: < ancient Greek πτωχο- (see ptochocracyn.) + -logycomb. form.
Obsolete. rare.
The study of poverty, begging, or unemployment.
ΚΠ
1891 W. Tuckwell in Rev. Churches 15 Dec. 174 The parson..is, by vertue of his office, an adept in what Dean Mansel used to call ptochology, the science which estimates and classifies pauperage, mendicancy, unemploy.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2007; most recently modified version published online June 2020).