continental drift

noun

: a slow movement of the continents on a deep-seated viscous zone within the earth compare plate tectonics

Examples of continental drift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Author’s note: Wegener was an early proponent of continental drift—a theory initially met with resistance. Daniel Galef, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 The expedition’s leader was another German scientist, Alfred Wegener, who’s best known for having come up with the theory of continental drift. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 And there’s a game where visitors piece back together Gondwana while exploring the concepts of evolution, tectonic plates and continental drift. Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2024 Yes, there is fossil evidence of continental drift. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for continental drift 

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of continental drift was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near continental drift

Cite this Entry

“Continental drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continental%20drift. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

continental drift

noun
: the slow movement of the continents on a fluid layer that extends to deep within the earth

More from Merriam-Webster on continental drift

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