Meanings
alternative Ps
- not comparablegeographyOf 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.
alternative Ps
- geographyThe Pleistocene epoch.
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).
1977, F. Clark Howell, “Introduction”, in Paleoanthropology in the People's Republic of China, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 31 more example
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.
2017, Anthony J. McMichael, Alistair Woodward, Cameron Muir, Climate Change and the Health of Nations, →ISBN, page 89
Origin
- Ancient Greekπλεῖστος“most”
- EnglishPleistocene
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.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan plistocè
- plistocè(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Chinese Mandarin 更新世
- 更新世 (Gēngxīnshì)(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Czech pleistocén
- pleistocén(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Dutch pleistoceen
- pleistoceen(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Esperanto plejstoceno
- plejstoceno(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Estonian pleistotseen
- pleistotseen(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Finnish pleistoseenikautinen, pleistoseenikausi
- pleistoseenikautinenof the Pleistocene epoch
- pleistoseenikausi(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
French Pléistocène
- Pléistocèneof the Pleistocene epoch
German pleistozänisch, Pleistozän
- pleistozänischof the Pleistocene epoch
- Pleistozän(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
- Eiszeitalter(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Greek πλειστόκαινος, Πλειστόκαινο
- πλειστόκαινος (pleistókainos)of the Pleistocene epoch
- Πλειστόκαινο (Pleistókaino)(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Italian pleistocene, Pleistocene
- pleistoceneof the Pleistocene epoch
- Pleistocene(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Polish plejstoceński, plejstocen
- plejstoceńskiof the Pleistocene epoch
- plejstocen(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Russian плейстоце́новый, плейстоце́н
- плейстоце́новый (plejstocénovyj)of the Pleistocene epoch
- плейстоце́н (plejstocén)(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Ukrainian плейстоце́новий, плейстоце́н
- плейстоце́новий (plejstocénovyj)of the Pleistocene epoch
- плейстоце́н (plejstocén)(geology) the Pleistocene epoch
Cite this entry
Pleistocene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pleistocene
“Pleistocene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pleistocene. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pleistocene,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pleistocene.
Source: Pleistocene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.