oligocene Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun from 40 million to 25 million years ago; appearance of sabertoothed cats
    Oligocene epoch.

WordNet

Ol"i*go*cene adjective
Etymology
Oligo- + Gr. new, recent.
Definitions
  1. (Geol.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, certain strata which occupy an intermediate position between the Eocene and Miocene periods. -- n. The Oligocene period. See the Chart of Geology.

Webster 1913