Carboniferous

[ kahr-buh-nif-er-uhs ]

adjective

1. 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.
2. (lowercase) producing carbon or coal.

noun

1. the Carboniferous Period or System.

carboniferous

¹

/ ˌkɑːbəˈnɪfərəs /

adjective

1. yielding coal or carbon

Carboniferous

²

/ ˌkɑːbəˈnɪfərəs /

adjective

1. 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

1. the Carboniferous
   the Carboniferous the Carboniferous period or rock system

Carboniferous

/ kär′bə-nĭf′ər-əs /

1. 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.
2. See Chart at geologic time

Other Words From

• post-Car·bon·ifer·ous adjective
• pre-Car·bon·ifer·ous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Carboniferous¹

1790–1800; < Latin carbōn- (stem of carbō ) coal + -i- + -ferous

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.

From Nautilus

In New Brunswick the Carboniferous rocks occupy a large area, but the coal seams so far developed are thin and unimportant.

From Project Gutenberg

At the close of Carboniferous times a marked change took place in the nature of the earth-movements.

From Project Gutenberg

Pressure seems to have played a considerable part in the formation of carboniferous strata.

From Project Gutenberg

The volcanic outbursts which followed became feebler in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods and ceased with the Permian.

From Project Gutenberg

The city cemetery is artificially made of fine carboniferous earth, on which vegetation springs up quickly.

From Project Gutenberg