| See under tertiary (def. 5). |
[tur-shee-er-ee, tur-shuh-ree] 
adjective, noun, plural -ar⋅ies.| 1. | of the third order, rank, stage, formation, etc.; third. |
| 2. | Chemistry.
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| 3. | (initial capital letter ) Geology. noting or pertaining to the period forming the earlier part of the Cenozoic Era, occurring from 65 million to 2 million years ago, characterized by the development and proliferation of mammals. |
| 4. | Ornithology. tertial. |
| 5. | Ecclesiastical. noting or pertaining to a branch, or third order, of certain religious orders that consists of lay members living in community (regular tertiaries) or living in the world (secular tertiaries). |
| 6. | (initial capital letter) Geology. the Tertiary Period or System. |
| 7. | Ornithology. a tertial feather. |
| 8. | (often initial capital letter) Ecclesiastical. a member of a tertiary branch of a religious order. |
| 9. | tertiary color. |
tertiary ter·ti·ar·y (tûr'shē-ěr'ē)
adj.
Third in place, order, degree, or rank.
Of or relating to salts of acids containing three replaceable hydrogen atoms.
Of or relating to organic compounds in which a group is bound to three nonelementary radicals.
| tertiary (tûr'shē-ěr'ē) Pronunciation Key
Noun Tertiary. The first period of the Cenozoic Era, from about 65 to 2 million years ago. During this time the continents took on their present form, and the climate changed from being warmer and wetter, in the early part of the period, to being drier and cooler in the later part. Mammals replaced dinosaurs as the dominant form of terrestrial animal life, and many modern types of flowering plants, insects, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds appeared. The Tertiary is subdivided into the Paleogene and the Neogene, although these terms are not as widely used as are the names of the epochs that constitute them. See Chart at geologic time. Adjective
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