Paleocene

adjective

Pa·​leo·​cene ˈpā-lē-ə-ˌsēn How to pronounce Paleocene (audio)
especially British
ˈpa- How to pronounce Paleocene (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the earliest epoch of the Tertiary or the corresponding series of rocks see Geologic Time Table
Paleocene noun

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French paléocène, from paléo- paleo- + -cène -cene

Note: Term introduced by the French (Alsatian) botanist Wilhelm Philippe Schimper (1808-80) in Traité de paléontologie végétale, tome 3 (Paris, 1874), p. 669 ff.

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Paleocene was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near Paleocene

paleobotany

Paleocene

paleoclimate

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Paleocene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Paleocene. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

Paleocene

adjective
Pa·​leo·​cene ˈpā-lē-ə-ˌsēn How to pronounce Paleocene (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the earliest epoch of the Tertiary period of geological history or the corresponding series of rocks see geologic time
Paleocene noun
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