ʃəs adjective
1.
resembling or containing chalk.
2.
( initial capital letter ) Geology. noting or pertaining to a period of the Mesozoic Era, from 140 million to 65 million years ago, characterized by the greatest development and subsequent extinction of dinosaurs and the advent of flowering plants and modern insects. See table under geologic time.
noun
3.
( initial capital letter ) Geology. the Cretaceous Period or System.
Origin:
1665–70; < Latin crētāceus, equivalent to crēt(a) chalk, clay (cf. crayon) + -āceus -aceous; the geological period was defined from the chalk beds of SE England and associated formations
1665–70; < Latin crētāceus, equivalent to crēt(a) chalk, clay (cf. crayon) + -āceus -aceous; the geological period was defined from the chalk beds of SE England and associated formations
Related forms
cre·ta·ceous·ly, adverb
non·cre·ta·ceous, adjective
post·cre·ta·ceous, adjective
su·per·cre·ta·ceous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To cretaceous
00:10
Cretaceous
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
cretaceous (krɪˈteɪʃəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| consisting of or resembling chalk | |
| [C17: from Latin crētāceus, from crēta, literally: Cretan earth, that is, chalk] | |
| cre'taceously | |
| —adv | |
| Cretaceous (krɪˈteɪʃəs) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of, denoting, or formed in the last period of the Mesozoic era, between the Jurassic and Tertiary periods, lasting 80 million years during which chalk deposits were formed and flowering plants first appeared |
| —n | |
| 2. | the Cretaceous the Cretaceous period or rock system |
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
cretaceous
c.1675, adj., "chalky," from L. cretaceus "chalky," from creta "chalk." As a geological period (with a capital C-), it was first used 1832. The extensive chalk beds of southeastern England were laid down during the Cretaceous.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
Cretaceous  (krĭ-tā'shəs) Pronunciation Key
The third and last period of the Mesozoic Era, from about 144 to 65 million years ago. During this time the supercontinent Pangaea continued to split up, with modern-day South America and Africa splitting apart, the Atlantic Ocean widening, and India disconnecting itself entirely from the other landmasses to which it was attached. dinosaurs continued to be the dominant terrestrial animals, but many insect groups, modern mammals and birds, and the angiosperms (flowering plants) also first appeared. The Cretaceous Period ended with a mass extinction event in which about 75 percent of all species, including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial organisms, became 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.
Cite This Source
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