Quaternary Definition
kwŏtər-nĕrē, kwə-tûrnə-rē
adjective
Consisting of four; in sets of four.
Webster's New World
Designating or of the third geologic period of the Cenozoic Era, characterized by a series of ice ages, the first toolmaking cultures, and the rise of modern human culture.
Webster's New World
Designating a compound or alloy containing four different components or elements.
Quaternary silver.
Webster's New World
Being, of, or containing an atom linked to four carbon atoms.
A quaternary nitrogen atom.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
noun
The number four.
Webster's New World
A set of four.
Webster's New World
The member of a group that is fourth in order.
American Heritage
The Quaternary Period.
American Heritage
Quaternary . The second and last period of the Cenozoic Era, from about 2 million years ago to the present. During this time the continents were situated approximately as they are today, although the geography was different due to fluctuations in sea levels caused by the advance and retreat of ice sheets. Humans first appeared during this period.
American Heritage Science
Synonyms:
- Age of Man
- Quaternary period
- little-joe
- foursome
- quadruplet
- quatern
- quartet
- quaternity
- quaternion
- tetrad
- iv
- 4
- four
pronoun
(geology) The geological period of the Cenozoic Era immediately following the Tertiary. It is subdivided into the Pleistocene and the Holocene Epochs.
Wiktionary
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Quaternary
- the Quaternary
Origin of Quaternary
-
From the Latin quaternārius (“containing or consisting of four"), from quaternÄ« (“four each", “four at a time") + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French quaternaire.
From Wiktionary
-
Latin quaternārius from quaternī by fours from quater four times kwetwer- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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