Eolithic

views updated May 17 2018

E·o·lith·ic / ˌēəˈli[unvoicedth]ik/ • adj. dated Archaeol. of, relating to, or denoting a period at the beginning of the Stone Age, preceding the Paleolithic and characterized by the earliest crude stone tools. ∎  [as n.] (the Eolithic) the Eolithic period.

Eolithic

views updated May 11 2018

Eolithic of, relating to, or denoting a period at the beginning of the Stone Age, preceding the Palaeolithic and characterized by the earliest crude stone tools.

The term is recorded from the late 19th century, and comes via French from Greek ēōs ‘dawn’ + lithikos (from lithos ‘stone’).