Triassic
[ trahy-as-ik ]
/ traɪˈæs ɪk /
|
adjective
noting or pertaining to a period of the Mesozoic Era, occurring from 230 to 190 million years ago and characterized by the advent of dinosaurs and coniferous forests.
noun
Also Tri·as [trahy-uh s] /ˈtraɪ əs/ the Triassic Period or System.
Origin of Triassic
Related formspost-Tri·as·sic, adjective
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Examples from the Web for triassic
British Dictionary definitions for triassic
Triassic
/ (traɪˈæsɪk) /
adjective
of, denoting, or formed in the first period of the Mesozoic era that lasted for 42 million years and during which reptiles flourished
noun
the Triassic or Trias the Triassic period or rock system
Word Origin for Triassic
C19: from Latin trias triad, with reference to the three subdivisions
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for triassic
Triassic
1841, from German, coined 1841 by German geologist Friedrich August von Alberti (1795-1878), from Greek trias "triad" (see triad), because it is divisible (in Germany) into three groups.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for triassic
Triassic
[ trī-ăs′ĭk ]
The earliest period of the Mesozoic Era, from about 245 to 208 million years ago. During the early part of the Triassic Period the supercontinent Pangaea was located along the equator; by the end of the Triassic it had started to split up. Land life diversified in the Triassic in response to the mass extinctions of the end of the Paleozoic. Conifers, cycads, marine reptiles, dinosaurs, and the earliest mammals first appeared. See Chart at geologic time.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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