Silurian

[ si-loor-ee-uhn, sahy- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the Silures or their country.
2. Geology. noting or pertaining to a period of the Paleozoic Era, occurring from 425 to 405 million years ago, notable for the advent of air-breathing animals and terrestrial plants.

noun

1. Geology. the Silurian Period or System of rocks.

Silurian

/ saɪˈlʊərɪən /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or formed in the third period of the Palaeozoic era, between the Ordovician and Devonian periods, which lasted for 25 million years, during which fishes first appeared
2. of or relating to the Silures

noun

1. the Silurian
   the Silurian period or rock system

Silurian

/ sĭ-lr′ē-ən /

1. The third period of the Paleozoic Era, from about 438 to 408 million years ago. During this time glaciers that formed during the late Ordovician melted, causing sea levels to rise. The first coral reefs, fish with jaws, and freshwater fish appeared, and jawless fish continued to spread rapidly. The first vascular plants also appeared, as did land invertebrates including relatives of spiders and centipedes.
2. See Chart at geologic time

Other Words From

• post-Si·luri·an adjective
• pre-Si·luri·an adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Silurian¹

First recorded in 1700–10; Silur(es) + -ian

Example Sentences

He writes for Styles and is a three-time winner of the New York Press Club award for city writing and a three-time winner of Silurians Press Club medallions for his feature writing.

From New York Times

Although the idea of sentient, technological reptiles immediately reminds us of Star Trek’s Gorns or Doctor Who’s Silurians, there has actually been a scientific debate about this possibility for more than four decades.

From Scientific American

By the end of the Silurian, jawed fishes began to appear; the advantage of jaws is that it makes for better hunters, which allowed such fish to better pass down their genes.

From Salon

The presence of shark relatives at the site suggests that the split between cartilaginous and bony fish had already occurred by the early Silurian, Dr. Friedman said.

From New York Times

The fossils date back to the Silurian period, an important era for life on earth from 443 million years ago to 419 million years ago.

From Seattle Times