Precambrian

See also: Pre-Cambrian

English

Alternative forms

• Pre-Cambrian

Etymology

pre- +‎ Cambrian

Adjective

Precambrian (not comparable)

1. (informal, geology) Relating to the time and geology dated before the Phanerozoic

Translations

before the Phanerozoic

• Finnish: esikambrinen
• French: précambrien (fr) m
• German: präkambrisch
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: prekambrisk

  Nynorsk: prekambrisk

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Occitan: precambrian

Proper noun

Precambrian

1. (geology) The eon (or supereon) and rock formations dated before 541.0±1.0 million years ago, coinciding with the first appearance of the fossils of hard-shelled animals.

Usage notes

• The International Commission on Stratigraphy, which attempts to standardize the vocabulary of the field, is revising the boundaries between time periods based on physical-science methods rather than the kinds of fossils present.
• The boundary between the Precambrian and the Phanerozoic has been changed from time to time and will be subject to change, as will the eons listed as Hyponyms below.

Synonyms

• (geological eon): Cryptozoic (archaic)

Hyponyms

• (geological eon): Hadean, Archaean, Proterozoic - eons

Coordinate terms

• (geological eon): Phanerozoic

Translations

eon before the Phanerozoic

• Danish: prækambrium n
• German: Präkambrium (de) n
• Low German:

  German Low German: Präkambrium n

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: prekambrium n

  Nynorsk: prekambrium n

• Swedish: prekambrium (sv) n