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; 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 Project Gutenberg

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