cretaceous
/kɹəˈteɪ.ʃəs/ adjective, proper noun
- adjective Of or relating to chalk.
- adjective Consisting of chalk.
- proper noun (geology) The geologic period within the Mesozoic era that comprises lower and upper epochs from about 146 to 66 million years ago.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin cretaceus (“chalky”), from Latin creta.
Specific use of cretaceous.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having the qualities of chalk;abounding with chalk; chalky; as, cretaceous rocks and formations. See Chalk. Cretaceous acid, an old name for carbonic acid.
- adjective Of, pertaining to, or designating, the period of time following the Jurassic and preceding the Eocene.
Etymology [L. cretaceus, fr. creta chalk. See Crayon.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cretaceous”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details