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ERA - 13 dictionary results

e⋅ra

[eer-uh, er-uh]
–noun
1. a period of time marked by distinctive character, events, etc.: The use of steam for power marked the beginning of an era.
2. the period of time to which anything belongs or is to be assigned: She was born in the era of hansoms and gaslight.
3. a system of chronologic notation reckoned from a given date: The era of the Romans was based upon the time the city of Rome was founded.
4. a point of time from which succeeding years are numbered, as at the beginning of a system of chronology: Caesar died many years before our era.
5. a date or an event forming the beginning of any distinctive period: The year 1492 marks an era in world history.
6. Geology. a major division of geologic time composed of a number of periods.


Origin:
1605–15; < LL aera fixed date, era, epoch (from which time is reckoned), prob. special use of L aera counters (pl. of aes piece of metal, money, brass); c. Goth aiz, OE ār ore, Skt ayas metal


1. See age.

ERA

1. Also, era Baseball. earned run average.
2. Emergency Relief Administration.
3. Equal Rights Amendment: proposed 27th amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.
earned run average  
n.   Baseball Abbr. ERA
A measure of a pitcher's performance obtained by dividing the total of earned runs allowed by the total of innings pitched and multiplying by nine.
e·ra   (îr'ə, ěr'ə)   
n.  
  1. A period of time as reckoned from a specific date serving as the basis of its chronological system.
    1. A period of time characterized by particular circumstances, events, or personages: the Colonial era of U.S. history; the Reagan era.
    2. A point that marks the beginning of such a period of time. See Synonyms at period.
  2. The longest division of geologic time, made up of one or more periods.

[Late Latin aera, from Latin, counters, pl. of aes, aer-, bronze coin; see ayes- in Indo-European roots.]
ERA  
abbr.  
  1. earned run average
  2. Equal Rights Amendment

Era

E"ra\, n.; pl. Eras. [LL. aera an era, in earlier usage, the items of an account, counters, pl. of aes, aeris, brass, money. See Ore.]

1. A fixed point of time, usually an epoch, from which a series of years is reckoned.

The foundation of Solomon's temple is conjectured by Ideler to have been an era. --R. S. Poole.

2. A period of time reckoned from some particular date or epoch; a succession of years dating from some important event; as, the era of Alexander; the era of Christ, or the Christian era (see under Christian).

The first century of our era. --M. Arnold.

3. A period of time in which a new order of things prevails; a signal stage of history; an epoch.

Painting may truly be said to have opened the new era of culture. --J. A. Symonds.

Syn: Epoch; time; date; period; age; dispensation. See Epoch.

Era

The era in use in all Christian countries, which was intended to commence with the birth of Christ. The era as now established was first used by Dionysius Exiguus (died about 540), who placed the birth of Christ on the 25th of December in the year of Rome 754, which year he counted as 1 a. d. This date for Christ's birth is now generally thought to be about four years too late.
Language Translation for : ERA
Spanish: era,
German: die Ära,
Japanese: 時代

era

n. Syn. {epoch}. Webster's Unabridged makes these words almost synonymous, but `era' more often connotes a span of time rather than a point in time, whereas the reverse is true for epoch. The epoch usage is recommended.

era 
1615, from L.L. æra, era "an era or epoch from which time is reckoned," probably identical with L. æra "counters used for calculation," pl. of æs (gen. æris) "brass, money" (see ore). The L. word's use in chronology said to have begun in 5c. Spain (where, for some reason unknown to historians, the local era began 38 B.C.E.; some say it was because of a tax levied that year). Like epoch, in Eng. it originally meant "the starting point of an age;" meaning "system of chronological notation" is c.1646; that of "historical period" is 1741.
era   (îr'ə)  Pronunciation Key 
A division of geologic time, longer than a period and shorter than an eon.

era
Synonym epoch. Webster's Unabridged makes these words almost synonymous, but "era" usually connotes a span of time rather than a point in time.

ERA
  1. earned run average
  2. Economic Regulatory Administration
  3. Equal Rights Amendment
  4. exchange rate agreement
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