cretaceous
adj 1: abounding in chalk
2: of or relating to or denoting the third period of the
Mesozoic era
n 1: from 135 million to 63 million years ago; end of the age of
reptiles; appearance of modern insects and flowering plants
[syn: {Cretaceous}, {Cretaceous period}]
Cretaceous \Cre*ta"ceous\ (kr[-e]*t[=a]"sh[u^]s), a. [L.
cretaceus, fr. creta chalk. See {Crayon}.]
1. Having the qualities of chalk; abounding with chalk;
chalky; as, cretaceous rocks and formations. See {Chalk}.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Geol.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, the period of
time following the Jurassic and preceding the Tertiary,
generally given as from 144 million years b. p. to 65
million years b. p.. Also called