archaean

/ (ɑːˈkɪən) /


noun
  1. 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)

Archaean

esp US Archean

/ (ɑːˈkiːən) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to the highly metamorphosed rocks formed in the early Precambrian era

  2. the earlier of two divisions of the Precambrian era, during which the earliest forms of life are assumed to have appeared

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

Scientific definitions for Archaean

Archaean

[ är-kēən ]


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.