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Little Ice Age
noun
: an episode of glacial expansion whose maximum extension occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries
Examples of Little Ice Age in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The study authors believe the proliferation of power plants in Florida in the early 20th century, coupled with the ending of the Little Ice Age, allowed manatees to expand their range northward.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
In the thirteenth century, though, a global cooling trend began, which has been called the Little Ice Age.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 21 Nov. 2024
The team suggests that as the effects of the Little Ice Age faded, manatees began to extend their range northward towards Florida.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024
The mild conditions gave way to a frigid period known as the Little Ice Age, however, which held sway until the 19th century.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2024
Despite the breadth and force of Global Crisis, the story of the lessons learned from the Little Ice Age calls for one more chapter: on the dawning of an ecological consciousness.
—Deborah R. Coen, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2014
Since the late 18th century, which saw a period of global cooling and glacial formation known as the Little Ice Age, one quarter of the icefield’s total volume has melted.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024
Researchers are exploring how this global swap might have influenced the Little Ice Age that ended in the 19th century.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Willis noted that these two major flood events from ancient times occurred during a period of global cooling known as the Little Ice Age, which spanned roughly the the 14th to 19th centuries.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1939, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Little Ice Age
Cite this Entry
“Little Ice Age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Little%20Ice%20Age. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on Little Ice Age
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Little Ice Age
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