fossil Hear it!

fossil Definition

fos·sil (fäs′əl)

noun

  1. Obsolete any rock or mineral dug out of the earth
  2. any hardened remains or imprints of plant or animal life of some previous geologic period, preserved in the earth's crust, including petrified wood and various resins
  3. anything fossilized or like a fossil
  4. a person who is old-fashioned or has outmoded, fixed ideas

Etymology: Fr fossile < L fossilis, dug out, dug up < fossus, pp. of fodere, to dig up < IE *bhedh-, to dig in the earth > Welsh bedd, grave, OE bedd, bed

adjective

  1. of, having the nature of, or forming a fossil or fossils
  2. belonging to the past; unchanged by progress; antiquated

fossil Synonyms

fossil

n.

remains, organic remains, reconstruction, specimen, skeleton, relic, impression, imprint, trace, petrified deposit, petrifaction.

fossil Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • trace: The coast around Osmington Mills is a good place to see trace fossils.
  • yield: In the Middle Devonian deeper water conditions have produced mudstones, thin limestones and slates which rarely yield fossils.
  • uncover: Watch our experts at work while they uncover fossils in the Paleontology Conservation Unit.
  • collect: The best location for collecting fossils from the London Clay, highly rich in fossils.
  • preserve: It became known in the scientific community for the discovery of well preserved fossils.
  • discover: Scientists have discovered fossils of the world's oldest genitals belonging to 400 million-year-old insects in ancient rocks in Scotland.

Adjective modifier

  • Jurassic: The area is an internationally important place for Jurassic plant fossils.
  • Cretaceous: A Cretaceous shellfish fossil found in the chalk around Steyning and on display at the Museum.
  • vertebrate: In the 19th and 20th centuries the foreshore has produced robust vertebrate fossils, washed out.
  • transitional: Fundamentalists ask, " Where are the transitional fossils?
  • marine: Yellow Finches were busy on the low cliff ledges, unaware that they were hopping along a raised beach full of marine fossils.

Modifies a noun

  • fuel: At the moment fossil fuels still provide the majority of our energy.
  • combustion: For many of the pollutants, the major source of emission is generated from fossil fuel combustion.
  • collecting: Several verses are devoted to local folk-lore and fossil collecting is also described.
  • assemblage: Its remarkable and unique fossil assemblage has inspired scientists from all over the world.
  • hunter: Go on location with fossil hunters or uncover the awesome power of the T-Rex.
  • burning: Between them, belching and biomass burning make the second largest contribution to global warming after fossil fuel burning.

Noun used with modifier

  • dinosaur: See the quarry where many dinosaur fossils were unearthed at the Dinosaur National Monument.
  • ammonite: Would you be interested in examining the magnetic iron containing specimens that were apparently poured over ammonite fossils?
  • trace: A trace fossil is the trace left behind by an animal, eg footprint, burrow " .