epoch

noun

ep·och ˈe-pək How to pronounce epoch (audio)

ˈe-ˌpäk,

US also and British usually

ˈē-ˌpäk

: an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development

: a memorable event or date

: an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events

: a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age

: an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference (as in astronomy)

Did you know?

Epoch comes to us, via Medieval Latin, from Greek epochē, meaning "cessation" or "fixed point." "Epochē," in turn, comes from the Greek verb epechein, meaning "to pause" or "to hold back." When "epoch" was first borrowed into English, it referred to the fixed point used to mark the beginning of a system of chronology. That sense is now obsolete, but today "epoch" is used in some fields (such as astronomy) with the meaning "an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference." The "an event or a time that begins a new period or development" sense first appeared in print in the early 17th century, and "epoch" has been applied to defining moments or periods of time ever since.

Example Sentences

The Civil War era was an epoch in 19th-century U.S. history. The development of the steam engine marked an important epoch in the history of industry.

Recent Examples on the Web The search drew their attention to a layer of sandstone from the Miocene epoch, ranging in age from 5 million to 23 million years old, which lies partly under waters controlled by the state of Texas and stretches into Louisiana.

Wired, 29 July 2022 Humans likely have been in Utah since the Pleistocene epoch, between 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, the high point of Lake Bonneville, according to Baxter’s manuscript, which in part draws upon the work of numerous scientists and historians.

The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 May 2022 These rocks date to an epoch known as the Oligocene, which stretched from 33.9 to 23 million years ago.

Devon Bidal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2022 The power of the novel lies in the strange personal chemistry by which Holleran is at once the celebrator, the satirist, and the elegist of a defining epoch in our history.

Alan Hollinghurst, The New York Review of Books, 3 Aug. 2022 Far from possessing the epoch-defining power that Victoria did, Elizabeth and her kin now rule mostly over the realms of kitsch and gossip.

Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2022 Orbital epoch of ~1200 UTC confirms that the inert 21t rocket core stage remains in orbit and was not actively deorbited.

Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 26 July 2022 In the classical epoch, man’s speech and his thoughts were directed outward, to people who gathered to listen in the squares and the agoras.

Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 American culture underwent such volcanic changes starting in the mid-Sixties that when American Graffiti arrived in 1973, the movie seemed like a time capsule from an ancient epoch — even though it was set only eleven years earlier.

Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 June 2022 See More

单词	epochs
释义	epoch noun ep·och ˈe-pək ˈe-ˌpäk, US also and British usually ˈē-ˌpäk 1 a : an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development b : a memorable event or date 2 a : an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events b : a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age 3 : an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference (as in astronomy) Did you know? Epoch comes to us, via Medieval Latin, from Greek epochē, meaning "cessation" or "fixed point." "Epochē," in turn, comes from the Greek verb epechein, meaning "to pause" or "to hold back." When "epoch" was first borrowed into English, it referred to the fixed point used to mark the beginning of a system of chronology. That sense is now obsolete, but today "epoch" is used in some fields (such as astronomy) with the meaning "an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference." The "an event or a time that begins a new period or development" sense first appeared in print in the early 17th century, and "epoch" has been applied to defining moments or periods of time ever since. Synonyms age day era period time See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The Civil War era was an epoch in 19th-century U.S. history. The development of the steam engine marked an important epoch in the history of industry. Recent Examples on the Web The search drew their attention to a layer of sandstone from the Miocene epoch, ranging in age from 5 million to 23 million years old, which lies partly under waters controlled by the state of Texas and stretches into Louisiana. Wired, 29 July 2022 Humans likely have been in Utah since the Pleistocene epoch, between 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, the high point of Lake Bonneville, according to Baxter’s manuscript, which in part draws upon the work of numerous scientists and historians. The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 May 2022 These rocks date to an epoch known as the Oligocene, which stretched from 33.9 to 23 million years ago. Devon Bidal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2022 The power of the novel lies in the strange personal chemistry by which Holleran is at once the celebrator, the satirist, and the elegist of a defining epoch in our history. Alan Hollinghurst, The New York Review of Books, 3 Aug. 2022 Far from possessing the epoch-defining power that Victoria did, Elizabeth and her kin now rule mostly over the realms of kitsch and gossip. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2022 Orbital epoch of ~1200 UTC confirms that the inert 21t rocket core stage remains in orbit and was not actively deorbited. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 26 July 2022 In the classical epoch, man’s speech and his thoughts were directed outward, to people who gathered to listen in the squares and the agoras. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 American culture underwent such volcanic changes starting in the mid-Sixties that when American Graffiti arrived in 1973, the movie seemed like a time capsule from an ancient epoch — even though it was set only eleven years earlier. Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Medieval Latin epocha, from Greek epochē cessation, fixed point, from epechein to pause, hold back, from epi- + echein to hold — more at scheme entry 1 First Known Use 1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Phrases Containing epoch epoch-making epoch-making Kids Definition epoch noun ep·och ˈe-pək : a period that is important or memorable epochs noun plural of epoch as in days an extent of time associated with a particular person or thing Sir Isaac Newton is usually credited with establishing the epoch of modern science Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance days eras ages periods times years generations cycles spaces spans dates stretches spells vintages bits whiles
随便看	uncurious uncurl uncurled uncurling uncurls uncurrent uncurse uncursed uncurses uncursing uncurtain uncurtained uncurtaining uncurtains uncus uncustomarily uncustomary uncustomed uncut uncut velvet uncute uncuter uncutest uncutter uncuttest

epoch

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing epoch

Kids Definition

noun

noun