adj. 1. Of or relating to Wales; Welsh. 2. Of, relating to, or being the period of geologic time from about 542 to 488 million years ago, the oldest period of the Paleozoic Era. The Cambrian Period is characterized by desert land areas, warm seas, and rapid early diversification of marine life resulting in the rise of almost all modern animal phyla. See Table at geologic time. n. 1. A Welshman or Welshwoman. 2. The Cambrian Period. [From Medieval Latin Cambria, Wales, alteration of Cumbria from Welsh Cymry. Adj., sense 2, and n., sense 2, after Cambria.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.