azoic

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: a=zo=ic

CIDE DICTIONARY

azoic, a. [Gr. 'a priv. + life, from to live.].

 Destitute of any vestige of organic life, or at least of animal life; anterior to the existence of animal life; formed when there was no animal life on the globe; as, the azoic. rocks.  [1913 Webster]

Azoic age (Geol.), the age preceding the existence of animal life, or anterior to the paleozoic tome. Azoic is also used as a noun, age being understood. See Archæan, and Eozoic.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

azoic, adj.
1 having no trace of life.
2 Geol. (of an age etc.) having left no organic remains.

Etymology

Gk azoos without life

ROGET THESAURUS

azoic

Inorganization

N inorganization, mineral world, mineral kingdom, unorganized matter, inorganic matter, brute matter, inanimate matter, mineralogy, geology, geognosy, geoscopy, metallurgy, metallography, lithology, oryctology, oryctography, inorganic, inanimate, inorganized, lithoidal, azoic, mineral.