Mesozoic
[ mez-uh-zoh-ik, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]
/ ˌmɛz əˈzoʊ ɪk, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zə-, -sə- /
adjective
noting or pertaining to an era occurring between 230 and 65 million years ago, characterized by the appearance of flowering plants and by the appearance and extinction of dinosaurs.
noun
the Mesozoic Era or group of systems.
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OTHER WORDS FROM Mesozoic
post-Mes·o·zo·ic, adjectiveWords nearby Mesozoic
mesothorium, mesotron, mesovarium, Mesozoa, mesozoan, Mesozoic, mesquite, mess, mess about, message, message board
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for Mesozoic
British Dictionary definitions for Mesozoic
Mesozoic
/ (ˌmɛsəʊˈzəʊɪk) /
adjective
of, denoting, or relating to an era of geological time that began 250 000 000 years ago with the Triassic period and lasted about 185 000 000 years until the end of the Cretaceous period
noun
the Mesozoic the Mesozoic era
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for Mesozoic
Mesozoic
[ mĕz′ə-zō′ĭk ]
The era of geologic time from about 245 to 65 million years ago. The Mesozoic Era was characterized by a drastic change in plants and animals. In the early part of the Mesozoic, ferns, cycads, and ginkgos were dominant; later, gymnosperms and angiosperms developed. Dinosaurs also first appeared in the Mesozoic and, with the exception of birds, became extinct at the end of the era. See Chart at geologic time.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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