fossa

¹

[ fos-uh ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural fos·sae [fos, -ee].

1. a pit, cavity, or depression, as in a bone.

fossa

²

[ fos-uh ]

noun

1. a forest-dwelling genetlike mammal, Cryptoprocta ferox, of the civet family, native to Madagascar, with a short coat of white, black, gray, or brown: now rare.

fossa

¹

/ ˈfɒsə /

noun

1. an anatomical depression, trench, or hollow area

fossa

²

/ ˈfɒsə /

noun

1. a large primitive catlike viverrine mammal, Cryptoprocta ferox , inhabiting the forests of Madagascar: order Carnivora (carnivores). It has thick reddish-brown fur and preys on lemurs, poultry, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of fossa¹

1820–30; < Latin: ditch, trench, fosse, short for fossa ( terra ) dug or dug out (earth), noun use of feminine of fossus, past participle of fodere to dig

Origin of fossa²

1830–40; < Malagasy; compare earlier fossane (< French < Malagasy)

Word History and Origins

Origin of fossa¹

C19: from Latin: ditch, from fossus dug up, from fodere to dig up

Origin of fossa²

from Malagasy

Example Sentences

The second 11-hour operation left Jason with posterior fossa syndrome, a common side effect of the procedure.

From BBC

The Arabian origin “makes sense,” said Asia Murphy, a Ph.D. student at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, who studies the fossa, an endemic carnivore that competes with forest cats.

From Science Magazine

Henry had a brain tumor next to his brain stem, on his posterior fossa.

From The New Yorker

Among their many vocalizations, adults in these social groups use separate sounds to alert each other to flying predators like the Madagascar harrier-hawk or ground-based predators such as the cat-like fossa.

From National Geographic

I worked on an Earthwatch project with Luke Dollar in northwestern Madagascar, studying the behavioral biology of the fossa, the island's largest predator.

From National Geographic