continental drift

American  

[kon-tn-en-tl drift] / ˈkɒn tnˌɛn tl ˈdrɪft /

noun

1. Geology. the lateral movement of continents resulting from the motion of crustal plates.

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continental drift British  

noun

1. geology the theory that the earth's continents move gradually over the surface of the planet on a substratum of magma. The present-day configuration of the continents is thought to be the result of the fragmentation of a single landmass, Pangaea, that existed 200 million years ago See also plate tectonics

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continental drift Scientific  

1. A theory stating that the Earth's continents have been joined together and have moved away from each other at different times in the Earth's history. The theory was first proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. While his general idea of continental movement eventually became widely accepted, his explanation for the mechanism of the movement has been supplanted by the theory of plant tectonics.

2. See more at plate tectonics

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continental drift Cultural  

1. A term, no longer used by geologists, that refers to the fact that continents are not stationary, but move across the Earth's surface. Continental drift is one feature of the modern theory of plate tectonics. (See Pangaea.)

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Etymology

Origin of continental drift

First recorded in 1925–30

Compare meaning

How does continental-drift compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• continental drift vs. plate tectonics

Example Sentences

Continental drift and sea-floor spreading became widely accepted around 1965 as more and more geologists started thinking in these terms.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Continental drift was not entirely without support in the United States.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson