eon
Americannoun
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an indefinitely long period of time; age.
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the largest division of geologic time, comprising two or more eras.
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Astronomy. one billion years.
noun
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the usual US spelling of aeon
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geology the longest division of geological time, comprising two or more eras
Usage
What does eon mean? Eon is commonly used in a general way to refer to an indefinitely long period of time. Outside of science, people usually use eon as a way to exaggerate how long something took to happen or how long something lasted. In the context of geology, eon refers to the largest division of geological time. Technically speaking, an eon is made up of two or more eras, which consist of several periods, which are divided into epochs. All of these units of time vary as to their exact length, but most consist of at least millions of years, with eons lasting billions or hundreds of millions of years. In the context of astronomy, an eon is one billion years. Example: It took me eons to get a straight answer as to how long an eon actually is.
Etymology
Origin of eon
see origin at aeon
Explanation
An eon is a really, really, super-long, impossible-to-measure length of time. If you sit down to dinner hanging your head and moaning that it's been an eon since you ate anything, you’re exaggerating. Four hours ago is not an eon. Eon goes back to the Greek aiōn, "age." An age is not easy to measure, and neither is an eon. Both are just really long periods of time, but in science an eon is about a billion years. You can use the noun eon for anything that takes a long while, including how long it will be before another planet collides with Earth or how many days until summer vacation starts — one is an eon, the other feels like an eon, or forever.
Vocabulary lists containing eon
Tyrannosaurus Lex(icon)
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Ides, Eon, Epoch, and Era: Time-related Words
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
EON Productions' Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli described Boyle as "exceptionally talented", adding they were "delighted" to have him on board.
From BBC • May 25, 2018
Employees at EON Sports VR's Irvine lab say that technology is at least two years away, but Reilly still sees plenty of value with the current technology.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2016
Ole Miss graduate assistant Robert Ratliff spent several hours using the EON Sports software to install the team’s offense into the system.
From Washington Times • Aug. 17, 2015
At the company’s factory in Älmhult, Sweden, leftover wood scraps are sold to the energy company EON to heat the community.
From Time • Jun. 4, 2015
MGM and its producing partner, EON Productions, own roughly 75 percent of "Skyfall," with Sony holding the remaining 25 percent.
From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
