paleotemperature

noun

The temperature at a location in the geologic past

OriginEnglish temperature ← Ancient Greek πᾰλαιός (pălaiós) →
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Meanings

nounpaleotemperature (plural paleotemperatures)

plural paleotemperatures · alternative palaeotemperature

  1. geographyThe temperature at a location in the geologic past

    It is thus possible to use the position of the data on the profile to estimate the palaeotemperature of each sample at 40 Ma.

    1999, S.N. Thomson et al., “Miocene high-pressure metamorphic rocks of Crete, Greece”, in Uwe Ring, editor, Exhumation Processes, →ISBN, page 95

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπᾰλαιός (pălaiós)
  2. Englishpaleo-
  3. Englishtemperature
  4. Englishpaleotemperature

From paleo- + temperature.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

paleotemperature. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paleotemperature

MLA

“paleotemperature.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paleotemperature. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paleotemperature,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paleotemperature.

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