quaternary

qua·ter·nar·y

 (kwŏt′ər-nĕr′ē, kwə-tûr′nə-rē)

adj.

1. Consisting of four; in fours.

2. Quaternary Of, relating to, or being the period of geologic time from about 2.6 million years ago to the present, the more recent of the two periods of the Cenozoic Era. It is characterized by the appearance and development of humans and includes the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs. See Table at geologic time.

3. Chemistry Relating to a nonhydrogen atom bonded to four other nonhydrogen atoms, especially to four carbon atoms: a quaternary nitrogen atom.

n. pl. qua·ter·nar·ies

1. The number four.

2. The member of a group that is fourth in order.

3. Quaternary The Quaternary Period.

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[Latin quaternārius, from quaternī, by fours, from quater, four times; see k^wetwer- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

quaternary

(kwəˈtɜːnərɪ)

adj

1. consisting of fours or by fours

2. fourth in a series

3. (Chemistry) chem containing or being an atom bound to four other atoms or groups: a quaternary ammonium compound.

4. (Mathematics) maths having four variables

n, pl -naries

the number four or a set of four

[C15: from Latin quaternārius each containing four, from quaternī by fours, distributive of quattuor four]

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Quaternary

(kwəˈtɜːnərɪ)

adj

(Geological Science) of, denoting, or formed in the most recent period of geological time, which succeeded the Tertiary period nearly two million years ago

n

(Geological Science) the Quaternary the Quaternary period or rock system, divided into Pleistocene and Holocene (Recent) epochs or series

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

quat•er•nar•y

(ˈkwɒt ərˌnɛr i, kwəˈtɜr nə ri)

adj., n., pl. -nar•ies. adj.

1. consisting of four.

2. arranged in fours.

3. (cap.) of or pertaining to the present period of earth history forming the latter part of the Cenozoic Era, originating about two million years ago, and including the Recent and Pleistocene Epochs.

n.

4. a group of four.

5. the number four.

6. (cap.) the Quaternary Period or System.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin quaternārius consisting of four =quatern(ī) four at a time + -ārius -ary]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Qua·ter·nar·y

(kwŏt′ər-nĕr′ē)

The second and last period of the Cenozoic Era, from about 2 million years ago to the present, characterized by the appearance of humans. See Chart at geologic time.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Quaternary

 four things collectively; a group of four facts or circumstances. Also quaternion.

Examples: quaternion of earth, air, water, and fire, 1695; of English writers—Shakespeare, Hooker, Bacon, Jeremy Taylor, 1868; of topics, 1648.

Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Quaternary - last 2 million years       Age of Man, Quaternary period Age of Mammals, Cenozoic, Cenozoic era - approximately the last 63 million years Holocene, Holocene epoch, Recent, Recent epoch - approximately the last 10,000 years Pleistocene, Pleistocene epoch, Glacial epoch - from two million to 11 thousand years ago; extensive glaciation of the northern hemisphere; the time of human evolution
	2.	quaternary - the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one IV, Little Joe, quadruplet, quartet, quatern, quaternion, quaternity, tetrad, 4, four, foursome digit, figure - one of the elements that collectively form a system of numeration; "0 and 1 are digits"
Adj.	1.	quaternary - consisting of or especially arranged in sets of four; "quaternate leaves"; "a quaternary compound" quaternate multiple - having or involving or consisting of more than one part or entity or individual; "multiple birth"; "multiple ownership"; "made multiple copies of the speech"; "his multiple achievements in public life"; "her multiple personalities"; "a pineapple is a multiple fruit"
	2.	quaternary - coming next after the third and just before the fifth in position or time or degree or magnitude; "the quaternary period of geologic time extends from the end of the tertiary period to the present" 4th, fourth ordinal - being or denoting a numerical order in a series; "ordinal numbers"; "held an ordinal rank of seventh"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

cuaternarioneozoico

quaternary

[kwəˈtɜːnərɪ]

A. ADJ → cuaternario

B. N → cuaternario m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

quaternary

adj (Geol) → quartär; (Chem) → quaternär, aus vier Teilen bestehend

n (Geol) → Quartär nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007