Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Carboniferous"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Carboniferous \Car`bon*if"er*ous\
(k[aum]r`b[o^]n*[i^]f"[~e]r*[u^]s), a. [Carbon + -ferous.]
Producing or containing carbon or coal.
{Carboniferous age} (Geol.), the age immediately following
the Devonian, or Age of fishes, and characterized by the
vegetation which formed the coal beds. This age embraces
three periods, the Subcarboniferous, the Carboniferous,
and Permian. See {Age of acrogens}, under {Acrogen}.
{Carboniferous formation} (Geol.), the series of rocks
(including sandstones, shales, limestones, and
conglomerates, with beds of coal) which make up the strata
of the Carboniferous age or period. See the Diagram under
{Geology}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
carboniferous
adj : of or relating to the Carboniferous geologic era;
"carboniferous rock system"
n : from 280 million to 345 million years ago [syn: {Carboniferous},
{Carboniferous period}]
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