fossil

[ fos-uhl ]

noun

1. any remains, impression, or trace of a living thing of a former geologic age, as a skeleton, footprint, etc.
2. a markedly outdated or old-fashioned person or thing.
3. a linguistic form that is archaic except in certain restricted contexts, as nonce in for the nonce, or that follows a rule or pattern that is no longer productive, as the sentence So be it.

adjective

1. of the nature of a fossil:

   fossil insects.

2. belonging to a past epoch or discarded system; antiquated:

   a fossil approach to economics.

fossil

/ ˈfɒsəl /

noun

1. 1. a relic, remnant, or representation of an organism that existed in a past geological age, or of the activity of such an organism, occurring in the form of mineralized bones, shells, etc, as casts, impressions, and moulds, and as frozen perfectly preserved organisms
   2. ( as modifier )

      fossil insects

2. informal.
   1. a person, idea, thing, etc, that is outdated or incapable of change
   2. ( as modifier )

      fossil politicians

3. linguistics a form once current but now appearing only in one or two special contexts, as for example stead , which is found now only in instead ( of ) and in phrases like in his stead
4. obsolete.
   any rock or mineral dug out of the earth

fossil

/ fŏs′əl /

1. The remains or imprint of an organism from a previous geologic time. A fossil can consist of the preserved tissues of an organism, as when encased in amber, ice, or pitch, or more commonly of the hardened relic of such tissues, as when organic matter is replaced by dissolved minerals. Hardened fossils are often found in layers of sedimentary rock and along the beds of rivers that flow through them.
2. See also index fossil

fossil

1. The evidence in rock of the presence of a plant or an animal from an earlier geological period. Fossils are formed when minerals in groundwater replace materials in bones and tissue, creating a replica in stone of the original organism or of their tracks. The study of fossils is the domain of paleontology . The oldest fossils (of bacteria ) are 3.8 billion years old.

Notes

The term is used figuratively to refer to a person with very old-fashioned or outmoded viewpoints: “That old fossil thinks that men should wear suits at the theater!”

Other Words From

• fossil·like adjective
• sub·fossil noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fossil¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin fossilis “dug up,” from foss(us) “dug” (past participle of fodere “to dig”) + -ilis -ile ( def ); replacing earlier fossile, from French

Word History and Origins

Origin of fossil¹

C17: from Latin fossilis dug up, from fodere to dig

Example Sentences

The effect is even further fueled by our oceans, which absorb more than 90 percent of the heat caused by burning fossil fuels, producing water vapor that increases precipitation.

From Salon

The fossils represent the earliest documented appearance of a group of animals that today are the most plentiful on Earth, the researchers report this week in Current Biology.

From Science Magazine

These include lowering energy costs through more fossil fuel production and appointing the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, to slash government spending.

From Los Angeles Times

At last year’s COP28 meeting in the United Arab Emirates, countries agreed to "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems".

From BBC

Other defining characteristics include its distinct curvature and the fact that it could move around -- seen by trace fossils in the surrounding area.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• relic
• skeleton
• specimen
• trace