noncarboniferous
|non-car-bon-i-fer-ous|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑn.kɑɹ.bəˈnɪf.ɚ.əs/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒn.kɑː.bəˈnɪf.ər.əs/
not Carboniferous / not coal-bearing
Etymology
'noncarboniferous' originates from the English negative prefix 'non-' + 'carboniferous', where 'carboniferous' ultimately derives from Latin 'carbo' meaning 'coal' and the suffix '-ferous' meaning 'bearing.'
'carboniferous' entered scientific English from Neo-Latin in the early 19th century (used to mean 'coal-bearing' and to name the Carboniferous period). The compound 'noncarboniferous' is formed by adding the productive English prefix 'non-' to negate that sense.
Originally 'carboniferous' meant 'coal-bearing' and later was applied to the geologic period; 'noncarboniferous' therefore developed to denote either 'not of that period' or 'not coal-bearing.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not of or relating to the Carboniferous period (geology); belonging to a time after or not within the Carboniferous (about 359–299 million years ago).
The noncarboniferous sedimentary layers overlie older coal-bearing strata.
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Adjective 2
not coal-bearing; lacking significant coal or carbon-rich deposits.
Geologists described the horizon as noncarboniferous and poor in organic coal deposits.
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Last updated: 2025/10/25 02:58