sexual attraction to or sexual contact with animals; a paraphilia or harmful behavior.
From Greek 'zoon' (animal) plus 'philia' (love of or attraction to). Coined as a clinical term in the 19th century to describe this harmful condition.
The word was created by combining Greek roots into a clinical term to discuss a serious animal abuse issue in medical settings—it's an example of how scientists use Greek and Latin to create neutral terminology for disturbing topics.
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