fossa

1
[ fos-uh ]

noun,plural fos·sae [fos-ee]. /ˈfɒs i/. Anatomy.
  1. a pit, cavity, or depression, as in a bone.

Origin of fossa

1
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

Other definitions for fossa (2 of 2)

fossa2
[ 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.

Origin of fossa

2
1830–40; <Malagasy; compare earlier fossane (<French < Malagasy)
  • Also called fossa cat .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fossa in a sentence

  • Occasionally it would appear that the inflammation begins in the throat, and reaches the face through the nasal fossae.

  • There are large supratemporal fossae, bounded below by supratemporal arcades.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • As regards the skull, the quadrate is large and fixed, and supratemporal and infratemporal fossae bounded by bone occur.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • Supratemporal, infratemporal, and post-temporal fossae occur, but no interparietal foramen.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • The supratemporal fossae are small, and open posteriorly, the lateral temporal fossae are very large.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for fossa (1 of 2)

fossa1

/ (ˈfɒsə) /


nounplural -sae (-siː)
  1. an anatomical depression, trench, or hollow area

Origin of fossa

1
C19: from Latin: ditch, from fossus dug up, from fodere to dig up

British Dictionary definitions for fossa (2 of 2)

fossa2

/ (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

Origin of fossa

2
from Malagasy

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