First Known Use: 1837
Dictionary
paleontology
noun pa·le·on·tol·o·gy \ˌpā-lē-ˌän-ˈtä-lə-jē, -ən-, especially British ˌpa-\
: the science that deals with the fossils of animals and plants that lived very long ago especially in the time of dinosaurs
Full Definition of PALEONTOLOGY
: a science dealing with the life of past geological periods as known from fossil remains
— pa·le·on·to·log·i·cal \-ˌän-tə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ also pa·le·on·to·log·ic \-jik\ adjective
— pa·le·on·tol·o·gist \-ˌän-ˈtä-lə-jist, -ən-\ noun
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Origin of PALEONTOLOGY
French paléontologie, from palé- pale- + Greek onta existing things (from neuter plural of ont-, ōn, present participle of einai to be) + French -logie -logy — more at is
Rhymes with PALEONTOLOGY
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