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View synonyms for

epoch

[ ep-uhkor, especially British, ee-pok ]

noun

  1. a particular period of time marked by distinctive features, events, etc.:

    The treaty ushered in an epoch of peace and good will.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. the beginning of a distinctive period in the history of anything:

    The splitting of the atom marked an epoch in scientific discovery.

  3. a point of time distinguished by a particular event or state of affairs; a memorable date:

    His coming of age was an epoch in his life.

  4. Geology. any of several divisions of a geologic period during which a geologic series is formed. Compare age ( def 12 ).
  5. Astronomy.
    1. an arbitrarily fixed instant of time or date, usually the beginning of a century or half century, used as a reference in giving the elements of a planetary orbit or the like.
    2. the mean longitude of a planet as seen from the sun at such an instant or date.
  6. Physics. the displacement from zero at zero time of a body undergoing simple harmonic motion.


epoch

/ ˈiːpɒk; ˈɛpˌɒkəl /

noun

  1. a point in time beginning a new or distinctive period

    the invention of nuclear weapons marked an epoch in the history of warfare

  2. a long period of time marked by some predominant or typical characteristic; era
  3. astronomy a precise date to which information, such as coordinates, relating to a celestial body is referred
  4. geology a unit of geological time within a period during which a series of rocks is formed

    the Pleistocene epoch

  5. physics the displacement of an oscillating or vibrating body at zero time
“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

epoch

  1. The shortest division of geologic time . An epoch is a subdivision of a period.
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Derived Forms

  • epochal, adjective
  • ˈˌdz󲹱, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ·o noun
  • p·o noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of epoch1

First recorded in 1605–15; from New Latin epocha, from Greek dzḗ “pause, check, fixed time,” from ep- ep- + och- (variant stem of é𾱲 “to have, hold, keep”) + -ŧ, noun suffix
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Word History and Origins

Origin of epoch1

C17: from New Latin epocha, from Greek ǰŧ cessation; related to ekhein to hold, have
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Synonym Study

See age.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Nelson's project takes its name from the term Anthropocene - the current geological epoch where human activity has become the dominant force shaping the Earth's environment.

From

Regency girls just want to have fun, so why confine them to one particular genre or historical epoch?

From

The specials were a blatant attempt to offer something for everyone, in a precable epoch defined by broadcasting, as opposed to today’s narrowcasting.

From

Since the paleoecologists focus on Deep Time, or epochs from tens of millions of years ago, they call their ensembles DeepMIPs.

From

had been the backbeat of a bygone epoch, the waltz amazingly survived in the 20th century.

From

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EPOepochal