Cambrian
Americanadjective
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Geology. noting or pertaining to a period of the Paleozoic Era, occurring from 570 million to 500 million years ago, when algae and marine invertebrates were the predominant form of life.
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of or relating to Cambria; Welsh.
noun
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Geology. the Cambrian Period or System.
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a native of Cambria; Welshman.
adjective
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of, denoting, or formed in the first 65 million years of the Palaeozoic era, during which marine invertebrates, esp trilobites, flourished
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of or relating to Wales
noun
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the Cambrian period or rock system
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a Welsh person
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The first period of the Paleozoic Era, from about 540 to 505 million years ago. During this time warm seas and desert land areas were widespread, and animal life diversified rapidly during what is known as the Cambrian Explosion.
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See Chart at geologic time
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Cambrian
1580–90; < Medieval Latin Cambri ( a ) Wales, Latinization of MWelsh Cymry Wales, literally Welshmen ( see Cymry) + -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This period marked a major evolutionary shift from predominantly soft-bodied organisms toward the Cambrian explosion, when animals with greater mobility, shells, and skeletons became increasingly prominent.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Young, who died in 1847, was one of the defining figures in Welsh ceramics and was best known for his work at the Cambrian Pottery and Nantgarw China Works.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Most of the Cambrian Line is single track but there is a section of dual track near to where the crash happened called the Talerddig Loop.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Earlier studies had interpreted the marks as evidence of wormlike creatures or other tiny marine animals moving through seafloor sediment during the Ediacaran period, which came just before the Cambrian explosion.
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
Perhaps some key steps in the development of the genetic code, or the Cambrian explosion, or bipedal stature among our ancestors were initiated by cosmic rays.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
