Laurasia

[ law-rey-zhuh, -shuh ]

noun

, Geology.

1. a hypothetical landmass in the Northern Hemisphere near the end of the Paleozoic Era: split apart to form North America and Eurasia.

Laurasia

/ lɔːˈreɪʃə /

noun

1. See Pangaea, Gondwanaland
   one of the two ancient supercontinents produced by the first split of the even larger supercontinent Pangaea about 200 million years ago, comprising what are now North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia (excluding India) See also Gondwanaland Pangaea

Laurasia

/ lô-rā′zhə /

1. A supercontinent of the Northern Hemisphere made up of the landmasses that currently correspond to North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia (except India). According to the theory of plate tectonics, Laurasia separated from Pangaea at the end of the Paleozoic Era and broke up into the current continents in the middle of the Mesozoic Era.
2. Compare Gondwanaland

Word History and Origins

Origin of Laurasia¹

1930–35; blend of Laurentian ( def 2 ) and Eurasia

Word History and Origins

Origin of Laurasia¹

C20: from New Latin Laur ( entia ) (referring to the ancient N American landmass, from Laurentian strata of the Canadian Shield) + ( Eur ) asia