Devonian

adjective

De·​vo·​ni·​an di-ˈvō-nē-ən How to pronounce Devonian (audio)
1
: of or relating to Devon, England
2
: of, relating to, or being the period of the Paleozoic era between the Silurian and the Mississippian or the corresponding system of rocks see Geologic Time Table
Devonian noun

Examples of Devonian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During the Devonian period, this part of the Devon and Somerset coasts weren’t attached to the rest of England. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Some three hundred and eighty million years ago, during the late Devonian period, the continent of Africa was drifting toward what would eventually become eastern North America. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 And the new study argues that the Hyneria genus began here and not on another Devonian continent, Euramerica. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2023 More than 360 million years ago, during the Devonian period, life was flourishing in spectacular fashion. Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Devonian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Devon, England

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Devonian was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near Devonian

Cite this Entry

“Devonian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Devonian. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Devonian

adjective
De·​vo·​ni·​an di-ˈvō-nē-ən How to pronounce Devonian (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a period of the Paleozoic era of geological history or the corresponding system of rocks see geologic time
Devonian noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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