many objects (for study); wide range of subjects
Refers to a broad collection of items or topics, often in an academic or reference context. Rarely used alone; typically appears in compounds like 百科事典 (encyclopedia) or 百科全書 (encyclopedia).
A book that gathers knowledge on many subjects.
Abbreviation of 百科事典 or 百科全書. Common in compound titles and casual reference.
See also: 百科事典
My daughter often reads an animal encyclopedia.
I bought an encyclopedia for children.
Let's look it up in the encyclopedia.
I make it a habit to look up words I don't know in an encyclopedia.
百科 refers to a broad range of academic subjects (or is short for 'encyclopedia'), while 百貨 (same reading) means 'many kinds of merchandise', as in 百貨店 'department store'.
From Middle Chinese-derived elements 百 (hundred, many) and 科 (category, subject). The abbreviation sense developed from compounds like 百科事典.