Stone Age

American

noun

the period in the history of humankind, preceding the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and marked by the use of stone implements and weapons: subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods.

Stone Age British

noun

a period in human culture identified by the use of stone implements and usually divided into the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic stages

"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

(sometimes not capitals) of or relating to this period

stone-age man

"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

Stone Age Scientific

The earliest known period of human culture, marked by the use of stone tools.
See Mesolithic Neolithic Paleolithic See Note at Three Age system

Stone Age Cultural

A period encompassing all of human history, perhaps several million years, before the Bronze Age. In the Stone Age, people learned to make and use stone tools and weapons.

Etymology

Origin of Stone Age

First recorded in 1860–65

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 Stone Age sign sequences are an early alternative to writing," says Prof Christian Bentz from Saarland University, an author of the new research.

From BBC

Stone Age people likely used them to communicate or store information.

From Science Daily

Ajvide is one of Scandinavia's most significant Stone Age archaeological sites, known for its well-preserved graves and abundant artifacts.

From Science Daily

Scientists have detected traces of plant-based poison on Stone Age arrowheads from South Africa, marking the oldest confirmed use of arrow poison ever identified.

From Science Daily

But a major new study suggests their physical transformation from wolf to sofa-hogging furball began in the Middle Stone Age, much earlier than we previously thought.

From BBC

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