Meaning
A part of the Earth’s crust that has survived the splitting and merging of continents.
Etymology
Origin: Ancient Greek
From Ancient Greek κράτος (krátos, “strength, might”). Shortened from original cratogen which was analogical to orogen.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2025, 2026.