Time Capsule

Definition

A sealed container holding objects, documents, or media intended to be opened at a future date to preserve a snapshot of a particular era, culture, or moment for posterity.

Example Usage

The school buried a time capsule in 1985 filled with yearbooks, letters, and pop music cassettes to be opened in 2035.

Origin

Coined in the mid-20th century, popularized by the 1939 New York World's Fair time capsule; combines 'time' and 'capsule' (a small container).

Fun Fact

The Westinghouse Time Capsules buried at the 1939 and 1965 New York World's Fairs were designed to survive underground for 5,000 years.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

Related Terms

Beginner

latticework

A framework of intersecting wooden or metal strips arranged in a diagonal or criss-cross pattern, creating a open, decorative structure with regular spaces. Latticework is commonly used in architecture, gardening (for supporting climbing plants), furniture design, and decorative arts.

🎓 Education / Academia

Advanced

Palinody

A formal recantation or retraction of something previously stated; a poem or speech in which the author contradicts their earlier work or opinion. Often used to describe a humiliating reversal of position.

🎓 Education / Academia

Advanced

Hermeneutics

The theory and practice of interpretation, particularly of texts, scriptures, and symbolic systems; the study of how meaning is derived and understood. Hermeneutics examines the principles by which we interpret language, context, and intent to uncover deeper or multiple layers of meaning.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

Academic Freedom

The principle that professors can teach and research whatever they want without institutional interference, which in practice means they can assign whatever books they wrote and require students to buy them at full price. It's freedom of speech with a tenure shield.

🎓 Education / Academia

Beginner

Midterm

An exam given in the middle of a semester to assess learning so far and provide early evidence that you're failing before you've completely given up.

🎓 Education / Academia

Beginner

Veldt

Open grassland or savanna in southern Africa, characterized by low vegetation, scattered shrubs, and trees. The term encompasses various types of grassland ecosystems at different elevations.

🎓 Education / Academia

Translate This Term

See “Time Capsule” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

oways

oh wow are you serious...