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.
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
The trains, both operated by Transport for Wales, were travelling on the Cambrian Line.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Fossil evidence clearly shows meiofauna existed during the Cambrian, but the new findings suggest they may not have been present earlier in the way some scientists proposed.
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
The findings provide scientists with a clearer picture of the world before the Cambrian explosion and may help researchers better understand the environmental conditions that paved the way for the rise of complex animal life.
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
Before the Cambrian explosion species seem to have succeeded one another rather slowly.
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.
