Conchology
/ˌkɒŋˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The scientific study of mollusk shells.
Did you know?Conchology was once a major branch of natural history, and its name comes from Greek words for a shell and the study of words, not from any occult root.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kónkhē
“shell; conch shell”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logia
“study, discourse, account”
Late Latin
Latin
conchologia
“study of shells”
17th Century
English
conchology
“the study or description of shells”
Modern English
English
conchology
“the scientific study of mollusk shells”