tertiary
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tertiary definition
ter·ti·ary (tʉr′s̸hē er′ē, -s̸hə rē)
adjective
- of the third rank, order, formation, stage, etc.; third
- Chem.
- third in order or type; involving the substitution of three atoms or radicals
- characterized by or designating a carbon atom or group attached to three other carbon atoms or groups in a chain or ring
- Geol. designating or of the first geologic period of the Cenozoic Era, usually subdivided into the Paleogene and the Neogene and characterized by the formation of major mountain ranges, the first grasses and grasslands, and the development of mammals as the dominant animal
- Linguis.
- designating, of, or being the third strongest of the four phonemic degrees of stress
- a mark used to indicate this
- R.C.Ch. of a Third Order
- Zool. tertial
Etymology: L tertiarius < tertius, third
noun pl. tertiaries -·ar′·ies
- R.C.Ch. a member of a Third Order
- Zool. tertial
tertiary Idioms
the Tertiary
the Tertiary Period or its rocks
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alternate definitions:
tertiary Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- halogenoalkanes: Comparing the reaction rates of primary, secondary and tertiary halogenoalkanes You would need to keep the halogen atom constant.
Modifying Another Word
- even: Instead, it will seek deals in secondary and even tertiary cities, where investment markets are fledglings.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
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MLA Style
"tertiary." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/tertiary>
APA Style
tertiary. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/tertiary
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