plate tectonics

noun

plural in form but singular in construction

1

: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of plates which float on and travel independently over the mantle and much of the earth's seismic activity occurs at the boundaries of these plates

2

: the process and dynamics of tectonic plate movement

also : a similar process on a body other than earth compare continental drift

plate-tectonic

ˈplāt-tek-ˈtä-nik 

adjective

Examples of plate tectonics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Head pointed to the destruction of many clues of evolutionary history due to the shifting of the Earth’s plate tectonics and erosion that has obscured the planet’s first several billion years, including the period when life emerged. —Simone McCarthy, CNN, 25 June 2024

The Mother of Ocean Floor Cartography Marie Tharp's contribution to ocean-floor mapping and the acceptance of plate tectonics wasn't recognized at the time. —JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024

Hard Science How plate tectonics shook life into existence The cycles of life all rely on the dynamism of the Earth’s crust. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Scientists have considered volcanic eruptions, varying levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, Earth’s tilt and volatile plate tectonics. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

plate tectonics

noun

1

: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of moving plates whose movements cause seismic activity (as earthquakes)

2

: the process of plate movement

plate-tectonic adjective