-ˌkrīs noun
( plural kulturkrei·se -īzə)
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: German, from kultur + kreis area, circle, from Old High German kreiz circular line, encirclement, district; akin to Middle Low German kreit, krēt circle, enclosed dueling space, Old High German krizzōn to scratch in (as letters), krazzōn to scratch — more at scratch
: a culture complex developing in successive epochs from its center of origin and becoming diffused over large areas of the world
the horse-raising peoples in the primary herding Kulturkreise — Lawrence Krader
the concept of the Kulturkreise developed by the Vienna school of ethnology