Eating earth or clay or chalk

• Occurs in some primitive tribes or sometimes in cases of nutritional deficiency

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. eating earth or clay or chalk; occurs in some primitive tribes or sometimes in cases of nutritional deficiency [syn: geophagia , pica ]

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"dirt-eating," 1850, from Greek *geophagia (according to OED the actual Greek is geotragia ), from geo- , comb. form of ge "earth" (see Gaia ) + phagein "to eat."A diseased appetite ... prevails in several parts of Alabama, where they eat clay. I heard ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. The practice of eating earthy substances such as clay and chalk, often thought to augment a mineral-deficient diet.