Orcadian

noun

Or·​ca·​di·​an ȯr-ˈkā-dē-ən How to pronounce Orcadian (audio)
: a native or inhabitant of the Orkney Islands
Orcadian adjective

Examples of Orcadian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That specific combination of minerals, as well as information about how some of them have decayed, solidly matches the Altar Stone to rock from the Orcadian Basin in the northeast. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 14 Aug. 2024 But this latest study suggests that the center stone is from the old red sandstone in the Orcadian Basin in Northeast Scotland, more than 450 miles away. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2024 The grains best matched a group of sedimentary rocks known as Old Red Sandstone found in the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, which differed completely from stones found in Wales. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024 The researchers hope to tackle that question in future work by collecting samples from across the Orcadian Basin to compare with the Stonehenge data and by analyzing additional minerals to sharpen the story of each rock. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin Orcades Orkney Islands

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Orcadian was in 1614

Dictionary Entries Near Orcadian

Cite this Entry

“Orcadian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Orcadian. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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