Nearby Words
adjective
1.
noting or pertaining to a geologic period of the Paleozoic Era, from 500 million to 425 million years ago, notable for the advent of fish.
noun
2.
the Ordovician Period or System.
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Ordovician
is always a great word to know.
So is infiltration. Does it mean:
| thin, distinctive stratum useful for stratigraphic correlation |
| seepage of water into soil or rock |
Origin:
1879; after the Ordovices (plural) (< Latin ) an ancient British tribe in N Wales, where rocks characterizing the period were found; see -ian
1879; after the Ordovices (plural) (< Latin ) an ancient British tribe in N Wales, where rocks characterizing the period were found; see -ian
Related forms
post-Or·do·vi·cian, adjective
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Ordovician
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
Ordovician
geological period following the Cambrian and preceding the Silurian, 1879, coined by Eng. geologist Charles Lapworth (1842-1920) from L. Ordovices, name of an ancient British tribe in North Wales. The period so called because rocks from it first were studied extensively in the region around Bala in North
EXPANDWales. The tribe's name is Celtic, lit. "those who fight with hammers," from Celt. base *ordo "hammer" + PIE *wik- "to fight, conquer" (cf. victor).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
Ordovician  (ôr'də-vĭsh'ən) Pronunciation Key
The second period of the Paleozoic Era, from about 505 to 438 million years ago. During this time most of the Earth's landmasses were gathered in the supercontinent Gondwanaland, located in the Southern Hemisphere. Much of this continent was submerged under shallow seas, and marine invertebrates, including trilobites, brachiopods, graptolites, and conodonts were widespread. The first primitive fishes appeared; some evidence suggests the first land plants may also have appeared at this time. By the end of the Ordovician massive glaciers formed on Gondwanaland, causing sea levels to drop and approximately 60 percent of all known marine invertebrates to become extinct. See Chart at geologic time. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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