paleontology

[ pey-lee-uh n-tol-uh-jee or, esp. British, pal-ee- ]

/ ˌpeɪ li ənˈtɒl ə dʒi or, esp. British, ˌpæl i- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR paleontology ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pa·le·on·tol·o·gies for 2.

the science of the forms of life existing in former geologic periods, as represented by their fossils.

a treatise on paleontology.

Nearby words

Origin of paleontology

From the French word paléontologie, dating back to 1830–40. See pale(o)-, ontology

Related formspa·le·on·to·log·ic

[pey-lee-on-tl-oj-ik or, esp. British, pal-ee-] /ˌpeɪ liˌɒn tlˈɒdʒ ɪk or, esp. British, ˌpæl i-/, pa·le·on·to·log·i·cal, adjectivepa·le·on·to·log·i·cal·ly, adverbpa·le·on·tol·o·gist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for paleontology

And if the fossils go to a private collector, they are effectively lost to paleontology and the public for good.
Stopping the Million-Dollar Fossil Thieves: Illegal Trade Meets World of Insatiable Research|Scott Bixby|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He draws evidence from genetics, geography, paleontology, anatomy, and elsewhere.
What Richard Dawkins Reads: Jerry Coyne, Helena Cronin and More|Josh Dzieza|September 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Often he had hieroglyphics to decipher which would have given trouble to a professor of paleontology.
The Heart of Pinocchio|Collodi Nipote
Its position to-day is perhaps not unlike that of paleontology at the close of the eighteenth century.
A History of Science, Volume 5(of 5)|Henry Smith Williams

In geology and paleontology, as is admitted, Evolution is not directly observed, but only inferred.
The Arena|Various
Dr. Dawson's sketch of paleontology will, we feel sure, be found interesting by all readers.
The Origin of the World According to Revelation and Science|John William Dawson
This is especially desirable in paleontology, where previously published figures can be introduced for comparative purposes.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 484, April 11, 1885|Various