cryptozoic

[ krip-tuh-zoh-ik ]

adjective

1. (initial capital letter) Geology. of or relating to that part of Precambrian time whose stratigraphic record yields only sparse, primitive fossils.
2. Zoology. living in concealed or secluded places.

noun

1. (initial capital letter) Geology. the part of Precambrian time whose stratigraphic record yields only sparse, primitive fossils.

cryptozoic

¹

/ ˌkrɪptəʊˈzəʊɪk /

adjective

1. (of animals) living in dark places, such as holes, caves, and beneath stones

Cryptozoic

²

/ ˌkrɪptəʊˈzəʊɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to that part of geological time represented by rocks in which the evidence of life is slight and the life forms are primitive; pre-Phanerozoic

noun

1. the Cryptozoic
   the Cryptozoic era

Word History and Origins

Origin of cryptozoic¹

First recorded in 1890–95; crypto- + zo- + -ic