Silurian

adjective

Si·​lu·​ri·​an sī-ˈlu̇r-ē-ən How to pronounce Silurian (audio)
sə-
1
: of or relating to the Silures or their place of habitation
2
: of, relating to, or being a period of the Paleozoic era between the Ordovician and Devonian or the corresponding system of rocks marked by numerous eurypterid crustaceans and the appearance of the first land plants see Geologic Time Table
Silurian noun

Examples of Silurian in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Briggs and his colleagues discovered Punk and Emo preserved in 3D within stones from a site known as the Herefordshire Lagerstätte in the United Kingdom, which dates back to the middle of the Silurian period (about 420 million to 443 million years ago). — Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2025 The briefcase has already moved to a bartender, then Trev, and now his Silurian manager. — Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin Silures

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Silurian was in 1708

Rhymes for Silurian

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Browse Nearby Words

Silures
Silurian
silurian gray
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Cite this Entry

“Silurian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Silurian. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

Silurian

adjective
Si·​lu·​ri·​an sī-ˈlu̇r-ē-ən How to pronounce Silurian (audio)
sə-
: of, relating to, or being a period of the Paleozoic era of geological history marked by the first appearance of land plants
also : relating to the corresponding system of rocks see geologic time
Silurian noun
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