Algonkian

[ al-gong-kee-uhn ]

noun,plural Al·gon·ki·ans, (especially collectively) Al·gon·ki·an for 2.
  1. Geology. former name of the Proterozoic.

adjective
  1. Geology. formerly, Proterozoic.

Origin of Algonkian

1
First recorded in 1805–10 for defs. 1, 3; 1885–90 for defs. 2, 4

Words Nearby Algonkian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Algonkian in a sentence

  • Two important ones, however—namely, Archean and Algonkian—are of American birth.

    North America | Israel C. Russell
  • As shown in Figure 207, a strong unconformity (nm´, Fig. 207) parts the schists and the Algonkian.

    The Elements of Geology | William Harmon Norton
  • These diverse forms indicate that before the Algonkian had closed, life was abundant and had widely differentiated.

    The Elements of Geology | William Harmon Norton
  • The vast length of Algonkian time is shown by the thickness of its marine deposits and by the cycles of erosion which it includes.

    The Elements of Geology | William Harmon Norton
  • The pottery of the Iroquoian and Algonkian tribes of the north-east was, as a rule, rather crude and undeveloped.

British Dictionary definitions for Algonkian

Algonkian

/ (ælˈɡɒŋkɪən) /


noun, adjective
  1. an obsolete term for Proterozoic

  2. a variant of Algonquian

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