Crystallology

/ˌkrɪstəˈlɒləloʊdʒi/ noun

Definition

The study of crystals and their properties; essentially synonymous with crystallography and crystallogy, emphasizing the systematic classification and description of crystalline materials.

Etymology

From crystal combined with -logy (meaning 'study' or 'science'). This represents a third variant naming convention for the discipline, all arising in the 19th century before standardization on 'crystallography' with the advent of X-ray methods.

Kelly Says

Having three different names—crystallography, crystallogy, and crystallology—for what's basically the same field shows how young this science really is; it's still figuring out how to talk about itself.

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