PALEONTOLOGY

[pa.le.on.tol.o.gy] n [F paleontologie, fr. pale- pale- + Gk onta existing things (fr. neut. pl. of ont-, on, prp. of einai to be) + F -logie -logy--more at is] (1838): a science dealing with the life of past geological periods as known from fossil remains -- pa.le.on.to.log.i.cal or pa.le.on.to.log.ic adj -- pa.le.on.tol.o.gist n