era

views updated May 18 2018

e·ra / ˈi(ə)rə; ˈerə/ • n. a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic: the era of glasnost. ∎ a system of chronology dating from a particular noteworthy event: the dawn of the Christian era. ∎ Geol. a major division of time that is a subdivision of an eon and is itself subdivided into periods: the Mesozoic era.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

era

views updated May 08 2018

era First-order geologic time unit composed of several periods. The Mesozoic Era, for example, is composed of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods. When used formally, as above, the initial letter of the term is capitalized.

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

era

views updated May 21 2018

era A first-order geological time unit composed of several periods. The Mesozoic Era, for example, is composed of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, dating from approximately 248 Ma to 65 Ma. When used formally the initial letter is capitalized. The equivalent chronostratigraphic unit is the erathem.

A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY

era

views updated May 23 2018

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences MICHAEL ALLABY

ERA

views updated May 23 2018

ERA Baseball earned run average
• (USA) Economic Regulatory Administration
• Education Reform Act (1988)
• Electrical Research Association
• electronic reading automation
• Electronic Rentals Association
• (USA) Emergency Relief Administration
• engine-room artificer
• Computing entity relationship attribute (as in ERA diagram, ERA model)
• (USA) Equal Rights Amendment
• European Ramblers' Association
• Evangelical Radio Alliance

The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH

ERA

views updated May 29 2018

ERA • abbr. ∎ Baseball earned run average. ∎ Equal Rights Amendment.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

era

views updated Jun 11 2018

era system of chronology reckoned from a point of time; date from which a period is reckoned XVII; period or epoch XVIII. — late L. æra, orig. pl. of æs æris copper, in the sense ‘counters (for calculation)’, used as fem. sg. for ‘number used as a basis of reckoning’, ‘epoch from which time is reckoned’.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD