paleozoic
/ˈpeɪl.iəˌzəʊɪk/ adjective, proper noun
Forms Palæozoic Palaeozoic
- adjective (geology) Of a geologic era within the Phanerozoic eon that comprises the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian periods from about 542 to 250 million years ago, from the age of trilobites to that of reptiles.
- proper noun (geology) The Paleozoic era.
Synonyms
Etymology
From paleo- + -zoic.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to, or designating, the older division of geological time during which life is known to have existed, including the Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous ages, and also to the life or rocks of those ages. See Chart of Geology.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “paleozoic”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details