- continental drift
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The hypothetical movement of continents across the surface of the earth.
Online Dictionary of Invertebrate Zoology. A.R. Maggenti and S.L. Gardne. 2005.
continental drift
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continental drift — Drift Drift, n. [From {drive}; akin to LG. & D. drift a driving, Icel. drift snowdrift, Dan. drift, impulse, drove, herd, pasture, common, G. trift pasturage, drove. See {Drive}.] 1. A driving; a violent movement. [1913 Webster] The dragon drew… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Continental drift — the movements of continents relative to each other across the Earth s surface; see {plate tectonics}. [PJC] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
continental drift — n [U] the very slow movement of the ↑continents across the Earth s surface … Dictionary of contemporary English
continental drift — noun uncount TECHNICAL the very gradual movement of CONTINENTS across the Earth s surface … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
continental drift — 1925, a translation of Ger. Kontinentalverschiebung, proposed 1912 by German scientist Alfred Wegener (1880 1930); the theory was not widely accepted until after c.1950 … Etymology dictionary
continental drift — ► NOUN ▪ the gradual movement of the continents across the earth s surface through geological time … English terms dictionary
continental drift — n. the theory that continents slowly shift their positions as a result of currents in the molten rocks of the earth s mantle, plate tectonics, etc … English World dictionary
Continental drift — This article is about the development of the continental drift hypothesis before 1958. For the contemporary theory, see plate tectonics. Antonio Snider Pellegrini s Illustration of the closed and opened Atlantic Ocean (1858). Continental drift is … Wikipedia
continental drift — Geol. the lateral movement of continents resulting from the motion of crustal plates. Cf. plate tectonics. [1925 30] * * * Large scale movements of continents over the course of geologic time. The first complete theory of continental drift was… … Universalium
continental drift — noun the gradual movement and formation of continents (as described by plate tectonics) • Hypernyms: ↑geological phenomenon * * * noun [noncount] technical : the very slow movement of the continents on the surface of the Earth * * * ˌcontinental… … Useful english dictionary
continental drift — N UNCOUNT Continental drift is the slow movement of the Earth s continents towards and away from each other … English dictionary
