ordovician
ordovician Lexical Profile
ordovician Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or denoting the second period of the Paleozoic era, spanning between the Cambrian and Silurian periods, known for diverse marine invertebrates and early vertebrates.
"The geological team mapped an extensive layer of Ordovician limestone while surveying the Welsh highlands."
• noun
The second geological period of the Paleozoic era, occurring approximately 485 to 443 million years ago, or the system of rocks deposited during this time.
"Marine life proliferated greatly during the Ordovician before a severe ice age caused a mass extinction event."
• Rhymes for ordovician
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1879 by the English geologist Charles Lapworth. He named the geological period after the Ordovices, an ancient Celtic tribe of North Wales, because rocks of this period were primarily studied in that region.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.