cryptozoic

American  

[krip-tuh-zoh-ik] / ˌkrɪp təˈzoʊ ɪk /

adjective

1. (initial capital letter) 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.

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noun

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

Cryptozoic ¹ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. the Cryptozoic era

cryptozoic ² British  

/ ˌkrɪptəʊˈzəʊɪk /

adjective

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

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Etymology

Origin of cryptozoic

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

Example Sentences

This is partly because many animals burrow in the ground or get in underneath things and into dark corners, being what is called cryptozoic or elusive.

From The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4) A Plain Story Simply Told by Thomson, J. Arthur