a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic 时代 his death marked the end of an era. 他的去世标志着一个时代的结束。 the era of glasnost. 开放的时代。 ■a system of chronology dating from a particular noteworthy event 年代;纪元 the dawn of the Christian era. 基督纪元的开端。 ■(Geology)a major division of time that is a subdivision of an aeon and is itself subdivided into periods (地质)代 the Mesozoic era. 中生代。 ■(archaic)a date or event marking the beginning of a new and distinct period of time (古)(标志新时期开始的)重要日子,重大事件
语源
mid 17th cent.: from late Latin aera, denoting a number used as a basis of reckoning, an epoch from which time is reckoned, plural of aes, aer- 'money, counter'