geognosy

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noun

The geological study of the Earth's structure and composition.

OriginGerman Geognosie →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

noungeognosy (uncountable)
  1. historicalobsoleteuncountableThe geological study of the Earth's structure and composition.

    Some writers divide Geology into two branches; 1. Geognosy, or Positive Geology, which embraces only the known facts of the science. 2. Geogony, or Speculative Geology, which attempts to point out the causes of those facts, and the inferences that result from them.

    1847, Edward Hitchcock, Elementary Geology

Origin

  1. GermanGeognosie
  2. Englishgeognosy

From German Geognosie; coined by Abraham Gottlob Werner. By surface analysis, geo- + -gnosy.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

geognosy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geognosy

MLA

“geognosy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geognosy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “geognosy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geognosy.

Source: geognosy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.