geochronology

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noun

The science of dating samples of rock or sediment.

“Geochronology allows us to see more precisely how the world has evolved.”

OriginEnglish chronology ← Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) ← Proto-Hellenic *lógos →
UncommonScrabble 23
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Meanings

noungeochronology (countable and uncountable, plural geochronologies)

plural geochronologies

  1. uncountableThe science of dating samples of rock or sediment.

    Geochronology allows us to see more precisely how the world has evolved.

  2. countableAny one of the methods by which the age of different samples of rock can be determined.

    The history of the East–Antarctic shield has been uncovered through uranium–lead geochronology.

  3. uncountableThe division of ancient time into named subdivisions / periods

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*gaya
  2. Ancient Greekγαῖᾰ (gaîă)clip.
  3. Ancient Greekγῆ (gê)
  4. Ancient Greekγεω- (geō-)
  5. Englishgeo-
  6. Ancient Greekχρόνος (khrónos)
  7. Englishchrono-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*lóǵos
  10. Proto-Hellenic*lógos
  11. Ancient Greekλόγος (lógos)
  12. Englishchronology
  13. Englishgeochronology

From geo- + chronology.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan geocronologia, geocronologia
  • geocronologiaany one of the methods by which the age of different samples of rock can be determined
  • geocronologiaTranslations
Finnish geokronologia
  • geokronologiaany one of the methods by which the age of different samples of rock can be determined
French géochronologie, géochronologie
  • géochronologieany one of the methods by which the age of different samples of rock can be determined
  • géochronologieTranslations
Italian geocronologia
  • geocronologiaany one of the methods by which the age of different samples of rock can be determined
Spanish geocronología
  • geocronologíaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

geochronology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geochronology

MLA

“geochronology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geochronology. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “geochronology,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geochronology.

Source: geochronology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.