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interglacial

American  
[in-ter-gley-shuhl] / ˌɪn tərˈgleɪ ʃəl /

adjective

Geology.

  1. occurring or formed between times of glacial action.

interglacial British  
/ ˌɪntəˈɡleɪsɪəl, -ʃəl /

adjective

  1. occurring or formed between periods of glacial action

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a period of comparatively warm climate between two glaciations, esp of the Pleistocene epoch

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
interglacial Scientific  
/ ĭn′tər-glā′shəl /

  1. Occurring between glacial epochs.

  1. A comparatively short period of warmth during an overall period of glaciation. Interglacials are characterized both by the melting of ice and by a change in vegetation.

Etymology

Origin of interglacial

First recorded in 1865–70; inter- + glacial

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The first was the Last Interglacial period around 125,000-116,000 years ago, when Neanderthals were the only humans living in Europe.

From Science Daily

During the Last Interglacial, Europe supported a wide range of megafauna.

From Science Daily

Struve notes that several recent studies suggest large-scale retreat occurred in this region during the last interglacial period around 130,000 years ago, when global temperatures were similar to those seen today.

From Science Daily

The sediment record indicates especially high iceberg activity near the end of glacial periods and during peak interglacial conditions.

From Science Daily

Each time the ice sheet retreated during earlier interglacial periods, increased iceberg activity carried large amounts of these weathered minerals into the nearby South Pacific.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.