glacial epoch
–noun | 1. | Also called glacial period, ice age. the geologically recent Pleistocene Epoch, during which much of the Northern Hemisphere was covered by great ice sheets. |
| 2. | any one of the Permian, Carboniferous, Cambrian, or Precambrian glaciations. |
Origin: 1840–50
ice age
n. A cold period marked by episodes of extensive glaciation alternating with episodes of relative warmth. Ice Age The most recent glacial period, which occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Science Dictionary
ice age
Any of several cold periods during which glaciers covered much of the Earth. Ice Age. The most recent glacial period, which occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch and ended about 10,000 years ago. During the Pleistocene Ice Age, great sheets of ice up to two miles thick covered most of Greenland, Canada, and the northern United States as well as northern Europe and Russia.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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