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• Archaean
  Archaean

  adjective

  of or relating to the highly metamorphosed rocks formed in the early Precambrian era
• archaean
  archaean

  noun

  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

Archaean

¹ British  

/ 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

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archaean ² British  

/ 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

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Example Sentences

There are four different types of Archaean cell walls.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Archaean cell walls do not have peptidoglycan, but they may have pseudopeptidoglycan, polysaccharides, glycoproteins, or protein-based cell walls.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

This "palaeobarometry" approach, revealed at the , will help constrain the models that try to simulate conditions in Archaean times.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2012

The confounding factor would be if raindrops were somehow much bigger in Archaean times.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2012

The Western Division is composed entirely of Archaean and Palaeozoic rocks, embracing the whole range from pre-Cambrian up to Carboniferous.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 4 "England" to "English Finance" by Various