Pangaea

or Pan·ge·a

[ pan-jee-uh ]
/ pænˈdʒi ə /

noun Geology.

the hypothetical landmass that existed when all continents were joined, from about 300 to 200 million years ago.
Compare supercontinent.

Origin of Pangaea

1920–25; pan- + Greek gaîa earth; allegedly coined by German meteorologist Alfred L. Wegener (1880–1930)

Example sentences from the Web for pangaea

British Dictionary definitions for pangaea

Pangaea

Pangea

/ (pænˈdʒiːə) /

noun

the ancient supercontinent, comprising all the present continents joined together, which began to break up about 200 million years ago See also Laurasia, Gondwanaland

Word Origin for Pangaea

C20: from Greek, literally: all-earth

Scientific definitions for pangaea

Pangaea
[ păn-jēə ]

A supercontinent made up of all the world's present landmasses joined together in the configuration they are thought to have had during the Permian and Triassic Periods. According to the theory of plate tectonics, Pangaea later broke up into Laurasia and Gondwanaland, which eventually broke up into the continents we know today.

Cultural definitions for pangaea

Pangaea
[ (pan-jee-uh) ]

A former “supercontinent” on the Earth. In the distant past a large landmass, Pangaea, included all the present continents, which broke up and drifted apart. (See plate tectonics.)