Meanings
- uncountablegeographyThe large-scale movement of tectonic plates that contributes to continental drift.
1 more example
And of course, in order to understand the Earth's past and how it got to where it now is, it is important to have a basic knowledge of plate tectonics, which explains how the planet's continental and oceanic crusts are part of the lithospheric plates that are buoyant and ride upon the highly viscous asthenosphere.
2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe branch of geology studying the folding and faulting of the earth's crust
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan tectònica de plaques
- tectònica de plaqueslarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Chinese Mandarin 板塊構造 /板块构造
- 板塊構造 /板块构造 (bǎnkuài gòuzào)large-scale movement of tectonic plates
Czech desková tektonika
- desková tektonikalarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Dutch platentektoniek
- platentektonieklarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Esperanto platotektoniko
- platotektonikolarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Estonian laamtektoonika
- laamtektoonikalarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Finnish laattatektoniikka
- laattatektoniikkalarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
French tectonique des plaques
- tectonique des plaqueslarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
German Plattentektonik
- Plattentektoniklarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Hungarian lemeztektonika
- lemeztektonikalarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Irish teicteonaic phlátaí
- teicteonaic phlátaílarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Italian tettonica a placche, tettonica delle placche
- tettonica a placchelarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
- tettonica delle placchelarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Japanese プレートテクトニクス
- プレートテクトニクス (purēto tekutonikusu)large-scale movement of tectonic plates
Korean 판 구조론, 플레이트 텍토닉스
- 판 구조론 (pan gujoron)large-scale movement of tectonic plates
- 플레이트 텍토닉스 (peulleiteu tektonikseu)large-scale movement of tectonic plates
Polish tektonika płyt
- tektonika płytlarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Portuguese tectónica de placas
- tectónica de placaslarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Russian текто́ника плит
- текто́ника плит (tektónika plit)large-scale movement of tectonic plates
Slovak platňová tektonika
- platňová tektonikalarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Spanish tectónica de placas
- tectónica de placaslarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Swedish plattektonik
- plattektoniklarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Turkish levha tektoniği
- levha tektoniğilarge-scale movement of tectonic plates
Ukrainian тектоніка плит
- тектоніка плит (tektonika plyt)large-scale movement of tectonic plates
Cite this entry
plate tectonics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plate%20tectonics
“plate tectonics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plate%20tectonics. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “plate tectonics,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plate%20tectonics.
Source: plate tectonics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.