Pliny
Americannoun
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the ElderGaius Plinius Secundus, a.d. 23–79, Roman naturalist, encyclopedist, and writer.
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his nephew (“the Younger,” Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus ) a.d. 62?–c113, Roman writer, statesman, and orator.
noun
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known as Pliny the Elder. Latin name Gaius Plinius Secundus. 23–79 ad , Roman writer, the author of the encyclopedic Natural History (77)
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his nephew, known as Pliny the Younger. Latin name Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus. ?62–?113 ad , Roman writer and administrator, noted for his letters
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii and killing his uncle, Pliny the Elder.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
“We thought that in the words of Pliny the Younger, ‘their lives were worthy of our memory.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
His uncle, Pliny the Elder, sailed across the Bay of Naples in a bid to take a closer look and save lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Two thousand years ago, the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder described a man named Pomponius who could not belch.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2024
Cato and Pliny had said that a bottle made of ivy could be used to establish whether wine had been adulterated with water, as the wine would be expelled, leaving the water behind.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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