carboniferous age

1 definition found

carboniferous age - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Carboniferous \Car`bon*if"er*ous\
     (k[aum]r`b[o^]n*[i^]f"[~e]r*[u^]s), a. [Carbon + -ferous.]
     Producing or containing carbon or coal.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Carboniferous age (Geol.), the age immediately following
        the Devonian, or Age of fishes, and characterized by the
        vegetation which formed the coal beds. This age embraces
        three periods, the Subcarboniferous, the Carboniferous,
        and Permian. See Age of acrogens, under Acrogen.
  
     Carboniferous formation (Geol.), the series of rocks
        (including sandstones, shales, limestones, and
        conglomerates, with beds of coal) which make up the strata
        of the Carboniferous age or Carboniferous period. See the
        Diagram under Geology.
        [1913 Webster]