Quaternary

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
quaternary
    adj 1: consisting of or especially arranged in sets of four;
           "quaternate leaves"; "a quaternary compound" [syn:
           {quaternate}, {quaternary}]
    2: 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" [syn: {fourth}, {4th}, {quaternary}]
    n 1: last 2 million years [syn: {Quaternary}, {Quaternary
         period}, {Age of Man}]
    2: the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one [syn:
       {four}, {4}, {IV}, {tetrad}, {quatern}, {quaternion},
       {quaternary}, {quaternity}, {quartet}, {quadruplet},
       {foursome}, {Little Joe}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Quaternary \Qua*ter"na*ry\, a. [L. quaternarius consisting of
   four each, containing four, fr. quaterni four each, fr.
   quattuor four: cf. F. quaternaire. See {Four}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. Consisting of four; by fours, or in sets of four.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Geol.) Later than, or subsequent to, the Tertiary;
      Post-tertiary; as, the Quaternary age, or Age of man.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Quaternary \Qua*ter"na*ry\, n. [L. numerus quaternarius: cf. F.
   quaternaire.]
   1. The number four. --Boyle.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Geol.) The Quaternary age, era, or formation. See the
      Chart of {Geology}.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
41 Moby Thesaurus words for "quaternary":
      Little Joe, biquadrate, biquadratic, four, four-legged,
      four-part diaphony, four-rayed, foursome, foursquare, quad,
      quadrangle, quadrature, quadrennium, quadric, quadrilateral,
      quadrille, quadrinomial, quadrivalent, quadruped, quadruplet,
      quartet, quartic, quartile, quatern, quaternion, quaternity,
      quatrefoil, rectangle, square, square dance, squaring, tetractinal,
      tetrad, tetragon, tetragram, tetragrammaton, tetrahedron,
      tetralogy, tetraphony, tetrapody, tetravalent

    

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