Devonian
adjective
De·vo·ni·an
di-ˈvō-nē-ən 
1
: of or relating to Devon, England
2
: of, relating to, or being the period of the Paleozoic era between the Silurian and the Mississippian or the corresponding system of rocks see Geologic Time Table
Devonian
noun
Examples of Devonian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The earliest true trees appeared during the Devonian period, around 385 million years ago.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The researchers’ analysis has made several surprising revelations about the iconic Devonian fish.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025
The landmark interpretive center, which opened to the public in 1994, is a hub for education on the Devonian period.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Oct. 2025
Lots of species were lost at the end of the Devonian period, which ended about 358.9 million years ago, to a mass extinction and the diversity of fish declined, Wilson wrote in a June 24 article published in The Conversation.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
Crucially, Devonian extracts active compounds from the fiber of the plant, parts that are not digestible through normal eating.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 30 June 2025
The first tetrapods evolved roughly 390 million years ago during the Devonian period.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 May 2025
Instead, the team hypothesized a stellar explosion may have been a potential factor in the Late Devonian extinction event 372 million years ago and one at the end of the Late Ordovician 445 million years ago.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The researchers’ analysis has made several surprising revelations about the iconic Devonian fish.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025
The landmark interpretive center, which opened to the public in 1994, is a hub for education on the Devonian period.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Oct. 2025
Lots of species were lost at the end of the Devonian period, which ended about 358.9 million years ago, to a mass extinction and the diversity of fish declined, Wilson wrote in a June 24 article published in The Conversation.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
Crucially, Devonian extracts active compounds from the fiber of the plant, parts that are not digestible through normal eating.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 30 June 2025
The first tetrapods evolved roughly 390 million years ago during the Devonian period.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 May 2025
Instead, the team hypothesized a stellar explosion may have been a potential factor in the Late Devonian extinction event 372 million years ago and one at the end of the Late Ordovician 445 million years ago.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devonian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Devonian. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Devonian
adjective
De·vo·ni·an
di-ˈvō-nē-ən
: of, relating to, or being a period of the Paleozoic era of geological history or the corresponding system of rocks see geologic time
Devonian
noun
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