pleistocene
/ˈplaɪstəˌsiːn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.01 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of a geologic epoch within the Quaternary period from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago (earlier definition 1.7 million to 11,000 years ago); marked by the evolution of man, and the extinction of the large mammals.
name
The Pleistocene epoch.
Example Sentences
- "A prehistoric site of late Pleistocene age, which was especially prepared for our visit, was seen at Ting-ts'un, above the Fen River (Shansi)."
- "Throughout the Pleistocene, climatic changes exerted another type of selective pressure on human biological evolution, contributing to the rapid emergence of various Homo species over time."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πλεῖστος (pleîstos, “most”) and καινός (kainós, “new”), meaning “newest”, coined by Charles Lyell in 1839. By surface analysis, containing the suffix -cene.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: πλεῖστος