fossa

¹

[fos-uh]

noun

Anatomy.

plural

fossae 

1. a pit, cavity, or depression, as in a bone.

fossa

²

[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.

fossa

¹

/ ˈfɒsə /

noun

1. an anatomical depression, trench, or hollow area

fossa

²

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fossa¹

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

Origin of fossa²

1830–40; < Malagasy; compare earlier fossane (< French < Malagasy)

Word History and Origins

Origin of fossa¹

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

Origin of fossa²

from Malagasy

Example Sentences

The second 11-hour operation left Jason with posterior fossa syndrome, a common side effect of the procedure.

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The Arabian origin “makes sense,” said Asia Murphy, a Ph.D. student at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, who studies the fossa, an endemic carnivore that competes with forest cats.

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Henry had a brain tumor next to his brain stem, on his posterior fossa.

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Among their many vocalizations, adults in these social groups use separate sounds to alert each other to flying predators like the Madagascar harrier-hawk or ground-based predators such as the cat-like fossa.

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I worked on an Earthwatch project with Luke Dollar in northwestern Madagascar, studying the behavioral biology of the fossa, the island's largest predator.

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