Pleistocene meaning: definition, etymology

Pleistocene

adj

/ˈplaɪstəˌsiːn/ · /-toʊ-/

Etymology From Ancient Greek πλεῖστος (pleîstos, “most”) and καινός (kainós, “new”), meaning “newest”, coined by Charles Lyell in 1839. By surface analysis, containing the suffix -cene.

Geography, Geology, Natural sciences Of a geologic epoch within the Quaternary period from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago (earlier definition 1.7 million to 11,000 years ago); marked by the evolution of man, and the extinction of the large mammals.