- catastrophism
- belief in rapid geological and biological change
Phrontistery dictionary. 2013.
catastrophism
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Catastrophism — is the idea that Earth has been affected in the distant past by sudden, short lived, violent events that were sometimes worldwide in scope.The dominant paradigm of geology, by contrast, has been uniformitarianism (also sometimes described as… … Wikipedia
catastrophism — (n.) as a geological or biological theory, 1869, coined by Huxley from CATASTROPHE (Cf. catastrophe) + ISM (Cf. ism). By CATASTROPHISM I mean any form of geological speculation which, in order to account for the phenomena of geology, supposes the … Etymology dictionary
Catastrophism — Ca*tas tro*phism, n. (Geol.) The doctrine that the geological changes in the earth s crust have been caused by the sudden action of violent physical causes; opposed to the doctrine of {uniformism}. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
catastrophism — catastrophism. См. теория катастроф. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) … Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.
catastrophism — [kə tas′trə fiz΄əm] n. 1. the former theory that geologic changes are caused in general by sudden upheavals rather than gradually: cf. UNIFORMITARIANISM 2. an outlook envisioning imminent catastrophe catastrophist n., adj … English World dictionary
catastrophism — noun Date: 1869 a geological doctrine that changes in the earth s crust have in the past been brought about suddenly by physical forces operating in ways that cannot be observed today compare uniformitarianism • catastrophist noun … New Collegiate Dictionary
catastrophism — n. [Gr. katastrophe, overturning] Cuvier s explanation of geological catastrophies resulting in the existence of fossil faunas … Dictionary of invertebrate zoology
catastrophism — catastrophist, n. /keuh tas treuh fiz euhm/, n. Geol. the doctrine that certain vast geological changes in the earth s history were caused by catastrophes rather than gradual evolutionary processes. [1865 70; CATASTROPHE + ISM] * * * ▪ geology… … Universalium
catastrophism — noun The doctrine that sudden catastrophes, rather than continuous change, cause the main features of the Earths crust … Wiktionary
catastrophism — the belief that landscape is the result of sudden, catastrophic events, rather than slow, day to day processes. Outmoded, but recognized as a contributory factor … Geography glossary
