barology

Noun

barology (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) The science of gravity or weight.
   • We have seen enough of the difficulties of hydrodynamics to understand that the part of dynamical barology which relates to fluids must still be very imperfect.1858, Auguste Comte, Positive Philosophy, page 211
   • Barology, or the science which embraces all the phenomena of terrestrial gravitation, is regarded as the purest of all the branches of physics, and therefore stands at the head of the category after astronomy.1913, Lester Frank Ward, Dynamic Sociology, page 114
2. A method of analyzing music according to hypermeter, deriving a structure of strong and weak bars and then phrases.
   • The barology is realised through the subtle agogic placement of beats and bars relative to each other in the hierarchy of the pypermeter; in other words, some beats sound late and some early; and some bars sound early and some late.2022, Graham J. McPhail, Knowledge and Music Education