Mes·o·lith·ic / ˌmezəˈli[unvoicedth]ik; ˌmē-/ • adj. Archaeol. of, relating to, or denoting the middle part of the Stone Age, between the Paleolithic and Neolithic. ∎  [as n.] (the Mesolithic) the Mesolithic period. Also called Middle Stone Age.

Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) In nw Europe, period in human development following the Palaeolithic and preceding the Neolithic. It followed an Ice Age (c.8000 bc). As the environment changed, scrub gave way to forest, and small game proliferated. A nomadic life became unnecessary, and human settlement was a feature of this period, as were flint tools.