supercontinent

noun

su·​per·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsü-pər-ˌkän-tə-nənt How to pronounce supercontinent (audio)
-ˌkänt-nənt
: a hypothetical former large continent from which other continents are held to have broken off and drifted away

Examples of supercontinent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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And that mattered, because during the late Triassic, a giant supercontinent called Pangea was breaking apart. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024 The amethyst crystals are found in lava flows, which date from the original breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana around 134 million years ago. David Bressan, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 The cycle of building and breaking up of supercontinents seems to drive long-term climate trends. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2024 This ancient connection is one of many biological clues supporting the former geographic links within the Gondwana supercontinent, which began breaking apart into today’s continents around 180 million years ago. Scott Travers, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for supercontinent 

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supercontinent was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near supercontinent

Cite this Entry

“Supercontinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supercontinent. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

supercontinent

noun
su·​per·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsü-pər-ˌkänt-ᵊn-ənt How to pronounce supercontinent (audio)
-ˌkänt-nənt
: a former large continent which is assumed to have existed and from which other continents broke off and drifted away

More from Merriam-Webster on supercontinent

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