Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- Literally, producing or containing horn: applied, in geology, to a group of rocks belonging to the lower portion of the Devonian series, because they contain seams of hornstone.
- noun The group of rocks so characterized.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the lowest period of the Devonian age. (See the Diagram, under
geology .) TheCorniferous period has been so called from the numerous seams ofhornstone which characterize the later part of the period, as developed in the State of New York.
Etymologies
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Examples
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The oil occurs in the corniferous limestone, and buildings constructed of this stone frequently exude petroleum in hot weather.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 611, September 17, 1887 Various
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Dr.T. Sterry Hunt has regarded limestones, and especially the Niagara and corniferous, as the principal sources of our petroleum; but, as I have elsewhere suggested, no considerable flow of petroleum has ever been obtained from the Niagara limestone, though at Chicago and Niagara
Scientific American Supplement, No. 362, December 9, 1882 Various
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The corniferous limestone is never more than fifty or sixty feet thick, and does not contain even one per cent. of hydrocarbons; and in southern
Scientific American Supplement, No. 362, December 9, 1882 Various
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Falls it contains a large quantity of bituminous matter; also, that the corniferous limestone which Dr. Hunt has regarded as the source of the oil of Canada and Pennsylvania is too thin, and too barren of petroleum, or the material out of which it is made, to justify the inference.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 362, December 9, 1882 Various
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Still retaining his Zimmerman and his senses, he looked down and beheld the corniferous quadruped gamboling playfully round his singular asylum.
Sketches — Volume 04 Robert Seymour 1818
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Still retaining his Zimmerman and his senses, he looked down and beheld the corniferous quadruped gamboling playfully round his singular asylum.
Sketches — Complete Robert Seymour 1818
reesetee commented on the word corniferous
(Obsolete) Producing or having horns.
February 12, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word corniferous
I would think it would be producing or having corns.
February 12, 2008
reesetee commented on the word corniferous
You would think. But no--because this is English, where words hardly ever make sense. ;-)
February 12, 2008
jennarenn commented on the word corniferous
Yep, that's both the rose and the thorn.
February 12, 2008