Archean
- noun
- /ɑrˈkiːən/
- Specialized
:
Arcaico
- The Archean period is known for the formation of the Earth's crust over three billion years ago.
Examples
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During the Archean eon, the first simple life forms emerged in the oceans.
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Geologists study rocks from the Archean era to understand the early conditions on Earth.
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And the missing piece of this sentence basically is that that would then have been food for the Archaean ancestor of the eukaryotic nucleus.
Synonyms
A very early time in Earth's history when the solid crust formed and the first single-celled life appeared
A very early time when Earth's first crust and simple life formed
A very early time on Earth when the first rocks formed and only one-celled life existed
A time about 3.8 to 2.5 billion years ago when the Earth's crust formed and single-celled life began
Compounds
- Specialized
A time about 3.8 to 2.5 billion years ago when the Earth's crust formed and single-celled life began
Surface Forms
Morphology
Archean = arche + an
A specialized geological term built from a Greek combining form ('arche-') plus the suffix '-an'; the meaning (a specific eon) is not predictable for an average B1 learner from the parts.
Etymology
Archean comes from the Greek archaios, which means 'ancient' and from archē, meaning 'beginning', and you can see the same root in archaeology. So Archean names the very early time in Earth's history when the first rocks and simplest life appeared.
