geological period

/ˈdʒiəˌlɑdʒəkəl ˌpɪriəd/

Other forms: geological periods

Definitions of geological period

1. noun

   a unit of geological time during which a system of rocks formed
   “ganoid fishes swarmed during the earlier geological periods”

   synonyms: period

   examples:

   Quaternary period

   the period of geologic time starting about 2.6 million years ago; the current Cenozoic period

   Tertiary period

   the period of the Cenozoic era from approximately 66 to 2.6 million years ago

   Cretaceous period

   the period of geologic time from about 145 to 66 million years ago; the last period of the Mesozoic era

   Jurassic period

   the period of geologic time from approximately 201 to 145 million years ago; the first period of the Mesozoic era

   Triassic period

   the period of geologic time from approximately 252 to 201 million years ago; the first period of the Mesozoic era

   Permian period

   the period of geologic time from about 299 to 252 million years ago, the seventh and final period of the Paleozoic era

   Carboniferous period

   from 345 million to 280 million years ago

   Upper Carboniferous period

   the period of geologic time from about 323 to 299 million years ago; the sixth period of the Paleozoic era

   Lower Carboniferous period

   the period of geologic time from about 359 to 323 million years ago; the fifth period of the Paleozoic era

   Devonian period

   the period of geologic time from about 419 to 359 million years ago; the fourth period of the Paleozoic era

   Silurian period

   the period of geologic time from about 444 to 419 million years ago; the third period of the Paleozoic era

   Ordovician period

   the period of geologic time from about 485 to 444 million years ago; the second period of the Paleozoic era

   Cambrian period

   the period of geologic time from about 541 to 485 million years ago; the first period of the Paleozoic era

   types:

   glacial epoch, glacial period, ice age

   any period of time during which glaciers covered a large part of the earth's surface

   type of:

   geologic time, geological time

   the time of the physical formation and development of the earth (especially prior to human history)