[min.er.al.o.gy] n [prob. fr. (assumed) NL mineralogia, irreg. fr. ML minerale + L -logia -logy] (1690) 1: a science dealing with minerals, their crystallography, properties, classification, and the ways of distinguishing them
2: the minerological characteristics of an area, a rock, or a rock formation -- min.er.al.og.i.cal also min.er.al.og.ic adj -- min.er.al.og.i.cal.ly adv -- min.er.al.o.gist n