GLACIAL EPOCH

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Glacial epoch mean? 

• GLACIAL EPOCH (noun)
  The noun GLACIAL EPOCH has 2 senses:

1. any period of time during which glaciers covered a large part of the earth's surface

2. from two million to 11 thousand years ago; extensive glaciation of the northern hemisphere; the time of human evolution

  Familiarity information: GLACIAL EPOCH used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GLACIAL EPOCH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any period of time during which glaciers covered a large part of the earth's surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

glacial epoch; glacial period; ice age

Context example:

the most recent ice age was during the Pleistocene

Hypernyms ("glacial epoch" is a kind of...):

geological period; period (a unit of geological time during which a system of rocks formed)

Holonyms ("glacial epoch" is a part of...):

prehistoric culture; prehistory (the time during the development of human culture before the appearance of the written word)

Sense 2

Meaning:

From two million to 11 thousand years ago; extensive glaciation of the northern hemisphere; the time of human evolution

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

Glacial epoch; Pleistocene; Pleistocene epoch

Instance hypernyms:

epoch (a unit of geological time that is a subdivision of a period and is itself divided into ages)

Holonyms ("Glacial epoch" is a part of...):

Age of Man; Quaternary; Quaternary period (last 2 million years)