malacology

Etymology

From French malacologie, contraction of malacozoologie, from the (obsolete) taxonomic name Malacozoa + French -ologie (“-ology”), Malacozoa being in turn from Ancient Greek μαλακός (malakós, “soft”) + ζῷον (zôion, “animal”). Equivalent to malaco- + -logy.

noun

1. (zoology) The study of molluscs.
   But the circumstances which the Baron Cuvier† so justly adduces as tending to retard the progress of Malacology in general, seem especially to have contributed to obscure the history of Nautilus Pompilius. 1832, Richard Owen, Memoir on the Pearly Nautilus, page 2
   […]their chronogeny will long remain one of the most difficult problems in Malacology. 1850, William King, A Monograph of the Permian Fossils of England, published 2014, page 201
   The first steps in the age determination of mammals by the number of annual layers were made when, in ichthyology and malacology, it has already become to routine practice to use annual layers for ageing animals and for back-calculating the growth of individuals. 1995, Galina A. Klevezal, M.V. Mina, Recording Structures of Mammals, page 231