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Carboniferous
[ kahr-buh-nif-er-uhs ]
adjective
- noting or pertaining to a period of the Paleozoic Era, including the Pennsylvanian and Mississippian periods as epochs, occurring from 345 million to 280 million years ago.
- (lowercase) producing carbon or coal.
noun
- the Carboniferous Period or System.
Carboniferous
1/ ˌkɑːbəˈnɪfərəs /
adjective
- of, denoting, or formed in the fifth period of the Palaeozoic era, between the Devonian and Permian periods, lasting for nearly 64 million years during which coal measures were formed
noun
- the Carboniferousthe Carboniferous period or rock system
carboniferous
2/ ˌkɑːbəˈnɪfərəs /
adjective
- yielding coal or carbon
Carboniferous
/ kär′bə-nĭf′ər-əs /
- The period of geologic time from about 360 to 286 million years ago. The term is used throughout the world, although this period of time has been separated into the Mississippian (lower Carboniferous) and Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) in the United States. During this time, widespread swamps formed in which plant remains accumulated and later hardened into coal.
- See Chart at geologic time
Other Words From
- post-Car·bon·ifer·ous adjective
- pre-Car·bon·ifer·ous adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of Carboniferous1
Example Sentences
Ninety percent of all the fossil fuels—coal, oil, gas—that we burn today were deposited during the Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian periods.
In New Brunswick the Carboniferous rocks occupy a large area, but the coal seams so far developed are thin and unimportant.
At the close of Carboniferous times a marked change took place in the nature of the earth-movements.
Pressure seems to have played a considerable part in the formation of carboniferous strata.
The volcanic outbursts which followed became feebler in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods and ceased with the Permian.
The city cemetery is artificially made of fine carboniferous earth, on which vegetation springs up quickly.
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