Holocene

[ hol-uh-seen, hoh-luh- ]

adjective

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Origin of Holocene

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; holo- + -cene

Words Nearby Holocene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Holocene in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Holocene

Holocene

/ (ˈhɒləˌsiːn) /


adjective
  1. of, denoting, or formed in the second and most recent epoch of the Quaternary period, which began 10 000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene

noun
  1. the Holocene the Holocene epoch or rock series

  • Also called: Recent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Holocene

Holocene

[ hŏlə-sēn′, hōlə-sēn′ ]


  1. The more recent of the two epochs of the Quaternary Period, beginning at the end of the last major Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. It is characterized by the development of human civilizations. Also called Recent See Chart at geologic time.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.