dendrochronology

noun

den·​dro·​chro·​nol·​o·​gy ˌden-(ˌ)drō-krə-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce dendrochronology (audio)
: the science of dating events and variations in environment in former periods by comparative study of growth rings in trees and aged wood
dendrochronological adjective
dendrochronologically adverb
dendrochronologist noun

Examples of dendrochronology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By the conventions of dendrochronology, the oldest known must be absolutely known, which is why alerce remains in second place for now. Jared Farmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2023 And like dendrochronology, sclerochronology is accurate to the single year, not decades or centuries like ice cores and geologic strata. Randall Hyman, Discover Magazine, 21 Aug. 2014 Researchers used dendrochronology — dating events by growth rings in trees — to figure out the age of the waterlogged door unearthed near Lake Zurich. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2020 Using dendrochronology — analyzing tree rings to date past events — the team was building a record of regional fires and droughts going back about 650 years. Russ Juskalian, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2015 So researchers turned to dendrochronology — the dating of objects by the growth rings in timber — and a chainsaw. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2022 The word was modeled on dendrochronology, the dating of trees by their annual growth rings. Steven N. Austad, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022 Then the work of interpreting the language of the wood got going in earnest, using dendrochronology, a range of scientific techniques developed in the course of a century. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 6 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dendrochronology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dendrochronology was circa 1928

Dictionary Entries Near dendrochronology

Cite this Entry

“Dendrochronology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dendrochronology. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

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