Carboniferous

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Carboniferous \Car`bon*if"er*ous\
     (k[aum]r`b[o^]n*[i^]f"[~e]r*[u^]s), a. [Carbon + -ferous.]
     Producing or containing carbon or coal.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Carboniferous age} (Geol.), the age immediately following


        the Devonian, or Age of fishes, and characterized by the
        vegetation which formed the coal beds. This age embraces
        three periods, the Subcarboniferous, the Carboniferous,
        and Permian. See {Age of acrogens}, under {Acrogen}.
  
     {Carboniferous formation} (Geol.), the series of rocks
        (including sandstones, shales, limestones, and
        conglomerates, with beds of coal) which make up the strata
        of the Carboniferous age or Carboniferous period. See the
        Diagram under {Geology}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  carboniferous
       adj 1: of or relating to the Carboniferous geologic era;
              "carboniferous rock system"
       2: relating to or consisting of or yielding carbon [syn: {carbonaceous},
           {carbonous}, {carbonic}]
       n : from 345 million to 280 million years ago [syn: {Carboniferous
           period}]