Oligocene
adjective, proper noun
- adjective (geology) Of a geologic epoch within the Paleogene period from about 34 to 23 million years ago; marked by the rapid evolution in a warm climate.
- proper noun (geology) The Oligocene epoch.
Synonyms
Etymology
From German Oligozän (originally spelt Oligocän, coined in 1854). By surface analysis, oligo- + -cene.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of, pertaining to, or designating, certain strata which occupy an intermediate position between the Eocene and Miocene periods.
- adjective The Oligocene period. See the Chart of Geology.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Oligocene”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details