Cryptozoon

American

[krip-tuh-zoh-on] / ˌkrɪp təˈzoʊ ɒn /

noun

an extinct genus of algae from Precambrian and Cambrian times, forming irregularly hemispherical fossil colonies composed of layers of limy precipitate.

Etymology

Origin of Cryptozoon

From New Latin, dating back to 1883; see origin at crypto-, -zoon

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.

In the Cambrian or Siluro-Cambrian, however, we meet with many gigantic Protozoa, more especially those known as Stromatopora, Archæocyathus, Receptaculites, and Cryptozoon.

From The Chain of Life in Geological Time A Sketch of the Origin and Succession of Animals and Plants by Dawson, Sir J. William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023