Cretaceous

2 definitions found

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

  Cretaceous \Cre*ta"ceous\ (kr[-e]*t[=a]"sh[u^]s), a. [L.
     cretaceus, fr. creta chalk. See {Crayon}.]
     1. Having the qualities of chalk; abounding with chalk;
        chalky; as, cretaceous rocks and formations. See {Chalk}.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Geol.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, the period of
        time following the Jurassic and preceding the Tertiary,
        generally given as from 144 million years b. p. to 65
        million years b. p.. Also called

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cretaceous
       adj 1: abounding in chalk
       2: of or relating to the Cretaceous geologic era; "cretaceous
          rocks"
       n : from 135 million to 63 million years ago; end of the age of
           reptiles; appearance of modern insects and flowering
           plants [syn: {Cretaceous period}]