Stone Age

American  

noun

1. the period in the history of humankind, preceding the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and marked by the use of stone implements and weapons: subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods.

---

Stone Age British  

noun

1. a period in human culture identified by the use of stone implements and usually divided into the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic stages

---

1. (sometimes not capitals) of or relating to this period

   stone-age man

Stone Age Scientific  

1. The earliest known period of human culture, marked by the use of stone tools.

2. See Mesolithic Neolithic Paleolithic See Note at Three Age system

---

Stone Age Cultural  

1. A period encompassing all of human history, perhaps several million years, before the Bronze Age. In the Stone Age, people learned to make and use stone tools and weapons.

---

Etymology

Origin of Stone Age

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Stone Age

A genetic study of 132 people buried in a large megalithic tomb near Bury, about 50 kilometers north of Paris, has uncovered evidence of a dramatic population collapse and replacement during the Stone Age.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

After bonding over a mutual appreciation for Queens of the Stone Age, Gatto joined Xcomm in late 2023.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

He observes that “geology is the beginning of technology,” which explains our use of phrases such as the Stone Age and the Bronze Age and, in the future, he believes, our current Sand Age.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

The researchers believe that Stone Age people deliberately carved these symbols to communicate messages, meaning, and convey thoughts.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026

Apparently, people of the Old Stone Age made no clear distinction between image and reality.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson