1. Plural of geognosy; knowledge of the structure and composition of the Earth, especially the arrangement and nature of rock layers and mineral deposits.
Usage: archaic or technical; largely superseded by the modern term 'geology'

Examples

• Early geognosies focused on cataloging rock formations and mineral types.
• The 19th-century naturalists advanced geognosies through careful field observation.
• Geognosies provided the foundation for modern geological science.