archaean
/ (ɑːˈkɪən) /
any member of the Archaea, a domain of prokaryotic microorganisms, distinguished from bacteria on molecular phylogenetic grounds and often found in hostile environments, such as volcanic vents and hot springs
Words Nearby archaean
British Dictionary definitions for Archaean (2 of 2)
esp US Archean
/ (ɑːˈkiːən) /
of or relating to the highly metamorphosed rocks formed in the early Precambrian era
the earlier of two divisions of the Precambrian era, during which the earliest forms of life are assumed to have appeared
- Compare Proterozoic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
How to use archaean in a sentence
Some of the metamorphic rocks may belong to the older Palaeozoic period, but the greater part of the series is probably archaean.
They are known to be pre-Jurassic, but whether they are Palaeozoic or archaean is uncertain.
They appear in contact with archaean, Algonkian or early Palaeozoic rocks.
The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays | J. (John) JolyThe archaean rocks still solidly underlie the lowest depth he has ever reached.
The Story of Evolution | Joseph McCabeAs we have no recognisable remains of the animals and plants of the earliest age, we will not linger over the archaean rocks.
The Story of Evolution | Joseph McCabe
Scientific definitions for Archaean
[ är-kē′ən ]
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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