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 a markedly outdated or old-fashioned person or thing.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 a person, idea, thing, etc, that is outdated or incapable of change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

But just as we can’t outrun the laws of physics that underlie global warming, we can’t afford more delay in ending the dangerous burning of fossil fuels.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the biggest blockers in Baku was said to be Saudi Arabia, which heads up a group of fossil fuel producing countries that want to slow the transition to renewables.

From BBC

According to the fossil record, cetaceans -- whales, dolphins and their relatives -- evolved from four-legged land mammals that returned to the oceans beginning some 50 million years ago.

From Science Daily

Wright has questioned some mainstream climate science and criticized calls to reduce carbon emissions and fossil fuel production.

From Science Magazine

If you’re worried about climate change under the next Trump administration, you might consider moving your checking and savings accounts, especially if you’re with a bank that funds fossil fuel projects, Perez said.

From Salon

Related Words

• relic
• skeleton
• specimen
• trace