See Also: prehistory(dictionary)
prehistory(dictionary)

prehistory (iou)



prehistory noun. L19.
[from PRE- + HISTORY noun, after PREHISTORIC.]
(The branch of knowledge that deals with) events or conditions before written or recorded history; the time when such events occurred; prehistoric matters. L19.
Guardian A lecturer in European prehistory at the University of Leeds.
transf. Events or conditions leading up to a particular occurrence, period, etc. (Foll. by of.) M20.
Encyclopedia Britannica The latter third of the 19th century was a crucial point in the prehistory of jazz.