Pliocene
/ˈplaɪəsiːn/ adjective, proper noun
Forms Pleiocene
- adjective (geology) Of a geologic epoch within the Neogene period from about 5.3 to 1.7 million years ago; marked by the appearance of humanity's first ancestors.
- proper noun (geology) The Pliocene epoch.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πλείων (pleíōn, “more”) + καινός (kainós, “new”). Coined by English philosopher and historian of science William Whewell in 1831 for Charles Lyell, who introduced it in 1833 in his book Principles of Geology. By surface analysis, pleio- + -cene.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of, pertaining to, or characterizing, the most recent division of the Tertiary age.
- noun The Pliocene period or deposits.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Pliocene”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details