fossilization
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Explanation
Fossilization is the process of an animal or plant becoming preserved in a hard, petrified form. Fossilization often results in the impression of an organism being left in a rock. When a leaf or an animal skeleton becomes a fossil, that's fossilization. Fossils are the preserved remains of a prehistoric creature — fossilization takes a very long time, so if you see a fossil, you know it's at least 10,000 years old. Originally, fossil was defined as "anything that's dug up," from the Latin fossilis, "dug up." By the 18th century, both fossil and fossilization specifically referred to "the geological remains of a plant or animal."
Vocabulary lists containing fossilization
Evolutionary BIology - Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Paleontology - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Paleontology - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Local extinctions caused by human activity and the introduction of invasive species can both prevent and improve the process of fossilization.
From Science Daily • May 8, 2024
Nawrot studies changes in marine ecosystems that have occurred since the last ice age, a field in which knowing the various factors that help or hinder fossilization is critical.
From Science Daily • May 8, 2024
Given the rarity of fossilization for hominin remains and how few have been found, we might never catch a glimpse of our immediate direct ancestor, Wood says.
From Science Magazine • Apr. 3, 2024
Ms. Losso was analyzing the trilobites’ appendages when she came across a curled Ceraurus trilobite with a set of plates called sternites lining its stomach that rarely survives fossilization.
From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2023
It is thus obvious that during the fossilization of the wood some of the other constituents are lost, and the percentage of carbon by this means raised.
From Coal and What We Get from It by Meldola, Raphael
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
