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Adjective: quaternary  'kwó-tu(r),ne-ree or kwu'tur-nu-ree [N. Amer], kwu'tur-nu-ree [Brit]
  1. Consisting of or especially arranged in sets of four
    "a quaternary compound";
    - quaternate
     
  2. Coming next after the third and just before the fifth in position, time, degree or magnitude
    "the quaternary period of geologic time extends from the end of the tertiary period to the present";
    - fourth, 4th
Noun: quaternary  'kwó-tu(r),ne-ree or kwu'tur-nu-ree [N. Amer], kwu'tur-nu-ree [Brit]
  1. The cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
    - four, 4, IV, tetrad, quatern, quaternion, quaternity, quartet, quadruplet, foursome, Little Joe
Noun: Quaternary
  1. The period of the last 2 million years
    - Quaternary period, Age of Man

Derived forms: quaternaries

See also: multiple, ordinal

Type of: digit, figure, geological period, period

Part of: Age of Mammals, Cainozoic, Cenozoic, Cenozoic era

Encyclopedia: Quaternary

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