fossil
nounUK /ˈfɒsl̩/ · US /ˈfɑsl̩/
Etymology From French fossile, from Latin fossilis (“something which has been dug up”), from fodio (“to dig up”).
1
The mineralized remains of an animal or plant.
- With the permission of the Keeper of the fossil collection, therefore, the specimen was subjected to a further careful removal of the matrix in the requisite directions.1870, T. H. Huxley, “On Hypsilophodon Foxii, a new Dinosaurian from the Wealden of the Isle of Wight”, in Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, volume 26, page 9:
- Within the Hepaticae two types of fossils can be distinguished: those with sufficient characters to assign them to an order and those with more obscure characters.1987, Cora Oostendorp, The Bryophytes of the Palaeozoic and the Mesozoic (Bryophytorum Bibliotheca; 34), Berlin, Stuttgart: J. Cramer, page 9:
2
Biology, History, Human sciences, Natural sciences, Paleontology, Sciences Any preserved evidence of ancient life, including shells, imprints, burrows, coprolites, and organically-produced chemicals.
- He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.2012 March-April, John T. Jost, “Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2012, page 162:
- You know what, we’ve got a limited number of heartbeats in this world so if you’re only truly happy researching fossils and can make it work for you, you go for it.2016 November 9, Mark Carnall, “Is palaeontology a waste of public money?”, in The Guardian:
3
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A fossil word.
4
Figuratively Anything extremely old, extinct, or outdated.
5
Derogatory, Figuratively An extremely old or outdated person.
- I do not want to convey any disrespectful notion or slight when I call those good and learned men fossils, but my experience is that people are apt to fossilise even at a University if they follow the same paths too persistently.1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
- All at once there was a tapping at the window pane. Atherton was staring at us from without. He shouted through the glass, ‘Come out of that, you fossils! — I’ve news for you!’1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:
1 more example
- “[…] What have you done with your old fossil?” “M. Poirot has gone to Paris,” I replied coldly. “And I can tell you, M. Giraud, that he is anything but an old fossil. He has solved many cases that have completely baffled the English police.”1923, Agatha Christie, The Murder on the Links:
- Derived terms
48 terms
body fossil, cast fossil, chemofossil, fossilate, fossil car, fossil damascus, fossildom, fossiled, fossil fool, fossil fuel, fossil gas, fossilhood, fossiliferous, fossilification, fossilify, fossilisation, fossilization, fossilise, fossilize, fossilism, fossilist, fossility, fossillike, fossilogy, fossil oil, fossilology, fossil record, fossil resin, fossil twister, fossil water, ichnofossil, index fossil, living fossil, macrofossil, magnetofossil, megafossil, mesofossil, microfossil, mold fossil, nanofossil, non-fossil, nonfossil, palynofossil, pseudofossil, semifossil, subfossil, technofossil, trace fossil- Related terms
- coprolite, Fossil