CARBONIFEROUS

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Carboniferous mean? 

• CARBONIFEROUS (noun)
  The noun CARBONIFEROUS has 1 sense:

1. from 345 million to 280 million years ago

  Familiarity information: CARBONIFEROUS used as a noun is very rare.

• CARBONIFEROUS (adjective)
  The adjective CARBONIFEROUS has 2 senses:

1. of or relating to the Carboniferous geologic era

2. relating to or consisting of or yielding carbon

  Familiarity information: CARBONIFEROUS used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CARBONIFEROUS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

From 345 million to 280 million years ago

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

Carboniferous; Carboniferous period

Instance hypernyms:

geological period; period (a unit of geological time during which a system of rocks formed)

Meronyms (parts of "Carboniferous"):

Pennsylvanian; Pennsylvanian period; Upper Carboniferous; Upper Carboniferous period (from 310 million to 280 million years ago; warm climate; swampy land)

Lower Carboniferous; Lower Carboniferous period; Missippian period; Mississippian (from 345 million to 310 million years ago; increase of land areas; primitive ammonites; winged insects)

Holonyms ("Carboniferous" is a part of...):

Paleozoic; Paleozoic era (from 544 million to about 230 million years ago)

Derivation:

carboniferous (of or relating to the Carboniferous geologic era)

• CARBONIFEROUS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to the Carboniferous geologic era

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

carboniferous rock system

Pertainym:

Carboniferous (from 345 million to 280 million years ago)

Derivation:

Carboniferous (from 345 million to 280 million years ago)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Relating to or consisting of or yielding carbon

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

carbonaceous; carbonic; carboniferous; carbonous

Pertainym:

carbon (an abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds)