geognosy

American  

[jee-og-nuh-see] / dʒiˈɒg nə si /

noun

1. Archaic. a science dealing with the constituent parts of the earth, its envelope of air and water, its crust, and the condition of its interior.

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geognosy British  

/ ˌdʒiːɒɡˈnɒstɪk, dʒɪˈɒɡnəsɪ /

noun

1. the study of the origin and distribution of minerals and rocks in the earth's crust: superseded generally by the term geology

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Other Word Forms

• geognostic adjective
• geognostical adjective
• geognostically adverb

Etymology

Origin of geognosy

1785–95; < French géognosie, equivalent to géo- geo- + -gnosie < Greek gnôsis knowledge

Example Sentences

We cannot help asking what business have paper money and political economy and geognosy here?

From Among My Books First Series by Lowell, James Russell

The phenomena of geognosy, particularly those which are connected with the stratification of rocks, and their grouping, are never solitary; but are found the same in both hemispheres.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Ross, Thomasina

We here touch upon a point of contact between geological and geographical geognosy which would constitute the complete history of the form and extent of continents.

From COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1 by Humboldt, Alexander von

Examples drawn from astronomy, recent optical discoveries, physical geognosy, and the geography of plants.

From COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1 by Humboldt, Alexander von

In taking a general view of the geological constitution of a chain of mountains, we may distinguish five elements of direction too often confounded in works of geognosy and physical geography.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3 by Humboldt, Alexander von