SILURIAN

Silurian, Silurian period

(noun) from 425 million to 405 million years ago; first air-breathing animals

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Adjective

Silurian (comparative more Silurian, superlative most Silurian)

(geology) Of a geologic period within the Paleozoic era; comprises the Llandovery, Wenlock, Ludlow and Pridoli epochs from about 439 to 409 million years ago.

(archaeology) Of or related to the Silures, a pre-Roman British tribe.

Proper noun

Silurian

(geology) The Silurian period.

Source: Wiktionary


Si*lu"ri*an, a. Etym: [From L. Silures, a people who anciently inhabited a part of England and Wales.] (Geol.)

Definition: Of or pertaining to the country of the ancient Silures; -- a term applied to the earliest of the Paleozoic eras, and also to the strata of the era, because most plainly developed in that country.

Note: The Silurian formation, so named by Murchison, is divided into the Upper Silurian and Lower Silurian. The lower part of the Lower Silurian, with some underlying beds, is now separated under the name Cambrian, first given by Sedwick. Recently the term Ordovician has been proposed for the Lower Silurian, leawing the original word to apply only to the Upper Silurian.

Si*lu"ri*an, n.

Definition: The Silurian age.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

28 March 2024

HUDDLED

(adjective) crowded or massed together; “give me...your huddled masses”; “the huddled sheep turned their backs against the wind”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

The world’s most expensive coffee costs more than US$700 per kilogram. Asian palm civet – a cat-like creature in Indonesia, eats fruits, including select coffee cherries. It excretes partially digested seeds that produce a smooth, less acidic brew of coffee called kopi luwak.

coffee icon