Tertiary (redirected from tertiaries)

tertiary (tûr`shēârē), in the Roman Catholic Church, member of a third order. The third orders are chiefly supplements of the friars—Franciscans (the most numerous), Dominicans, and Carmelites. They have rules reflecting the spirit of the corresponding order but adapted to life in the world; hence, the offices to be read are short and the fasts are mild. The promises made on joining are not vows; their purpose is the sanctification of the members. Secular members of third orders (i.e., those who live in the world) may be priests or laymen; there are also tertiaries who live in communities, the regular tertiaries. The name tertiary recalls their origin among the Franciscans, for St. Francis founded his order for laymen only after he had instituted his order for men (the friars) and after St. Clare had founded the nuns (second order, the Poor Clares). See monasticism.

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tertiary

1. (of education) taking place after secondary school, such as at university, college, etc.

2. (of an industry) involving services as opposed to extraction or manufacture, such as transport, finance, etc.

3. RC Church of or relating to a Third Order

4. Chem

a. (of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to three other groups

b. (of an amine) having three organic groups attached to a nitrogen atom

c. (of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of all its acidic hydrogen atoms with metal atoms or electropositive groups

5. Ornithol rare of, relating to, or designating any of the small flight feathers attached to the part of the humerus nearest to the body

6. Ornithol rare any of the tertiary feathers

7. RC Church a member of a Third Order

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Tertiary

1. of, denoting, or formed in the first period of the Cenozoic era, which lasted for 63 million years, during which mammals became dominant

2. the. the Tertiary period or rock system, divided into Palaeocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene epochs or series

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Tertiary [′tər·shē‚er·ē]

(geology)

The older major subdivision (period) of the Cenozoic era, extending from the end of the Cretaceous to the beginning of the Quaternary, from 70,000,000 to 2,000,000 years ago.