Link Centre Dictionary

epoch

UK/ˈiːpɒk/ US/ˈɛpɒk/ rare

noun

1.

a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event

Synonyms
2.

(astronomy) the precise date that is the point of reference for which information (as coordinates of a celestial body) is referred

Synonyms
3.

Origin

From Medieval Latin epocha, from Ancient Greek ἐποχή (epokhḗ, “a check, cessation, stop, pause, epoch of a star, i.e., the point at which it seems to halt after reaching the highest, and generally the place of a star; hence, a historical epoch”), from ἐπέχω (epékhō, “to hold in, check”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “upon”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, hold”). Doublet of epoche.

Phrases

  • Amazonian epoch
  • Belle Époque
  • Genesee epoch
  • habitable epoch
  • Hesperian epoch
  • Noachian epoch
  • Planck epoch

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.