Archean
|Ar-che-an|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑɹkiən/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːkiən/
ancient (Earth's early eon)
Etymology
'Archean' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Greek 'arkhaios' where 'arkhaios' meant 'ancient'.
'Archean' entered geological usage in the late 19th century (often spelled 'Archaean') from New Latin and Greek roots and became standardized as the name of an eon in modern geology.
Initially it meant 'ancient' in a general sense, but over time it evolved into the specialized geological sense referring to the Archean eon (Earth's early history about 4,000–2,500 million years ago).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rock, formation, or geological material that dates from the Archean eon; also, informally, a thing or layer from that time.
Geologists examined an Archean from the drill core to determine the region's early history.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the Archean eon — the very early part of Earth's history (about 4,000 to 2,500 million years ago); ancient, primitive (in a geological sense).
Archean continental crust preserves evidence of some of Earth's earliest geological processes.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/06 09:46