fossilize

American  

[fos-uh-lahyz] / ˈfɒs əˌlaɪz /

especially British, fossilise

verb (used with object)

fossilized, fossilizing

1. Geology. to convert into a fossil; replace organic with mineral substances in the remains of an organism.

2. to change as if into mere lifeless remains or traces of the past.

3. to make rigidly antiquated.

   Time has fossilized such methods.

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verb (used without object)

fossilized, fossilizing

1. to become a fossil or like a fossil.

   The plant fossilized in comparatively recent geologic time.

2. Linguistics. (of a linguistic form, feature, rule, etc.) to become permanently established in the interlanguage of a second-language learner in a form that is deviant from the target-language norm and that continues to appear in performance regardless of further exposure to the target language.

fossilize British  

/ ˈfɒsɪˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to convert or be converted into a fossil

2. to become or cause to become antiquated or inflexible

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fossilization
  noun
• semifossilized
  adjective
• unfossilized
  adjective
• fossilizable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fossilize

First recorded in 1785–95; fossil + -ize

Explanation

When something fossilizes, it becomes a fossil, meaning it leaves an impression in the Earth that far outlives the organism. Fossils are remnants left in rock of a living creature: the remnants have been petrified over many years and they leave an impression of what the animal was like. Fossilizing is a word for this process, which happens slowly over time. If dinosaurs had not fossilized, we wouldn't know much about what dinosaurs were like. The most likely parts of a creature to fossilize are hard parts like bones and shells.

Related Words

• dwindle
• shrink
• wilt
• wither