of, denoting, or formed in the first epoch of the Quaternary period, which lasted for about 1 600 000 years. It was characterized by extensive glaciations of the N hemisphere and the evolutionary development of humans
noun
2. the Pleistocene
Word origin
C19: from Greek pleistos most + kainos recent
Pleistocene in American English
(ˈplaɪstəˌsin)
adjective
[sometimesp-]
designating or of the first geologic epoch of the Quaternary Period, characterized by a series of advancing and retreating continental glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere and the development of modern humans and toolmaking cultures
Idioms:
the Pleistocene
Word origin
< Gr pleistos, most, superl. of polys, much (see poly-) + -cene
Examples of 'Pleistocene' in a sentence
Pleistocene
From that he worked out the game migration routes at the very end of the Pleistocene period.