First Known Use: 1832
Dictionary
Cretaceous
adjective Cre·ta·ceous \kri-ˈtā-shəs\
Definition of CRETACEOUS
: of, relating to, or being the last period of the Mesozoic era characterized by continued dominance of reptiles, emergent dominance of angiosperms, diversification of mammals, and the extinction of many types of organisms at the close of the period; also : of, relating to, or being the corresponding system of rocks — see geologic time table
— Cretaceous noun
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Origin of CRETACEOUS
Latin cretaceus resembling chalk, from creta chalk
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