fossa

¹ American  

[fos-uh] / ˈfɒs ə /

noun

Anatomy.

• fossae
  plural

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

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fossa ² American  

[fos-uh] / ˈfɒs ə /

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.

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fossa ¹ British  

/ ˈfɒsə /

noun

1. an anatomical depression, trench, or hollow area

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fossa ² British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fossae
  plural

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Etymology

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)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fossa fossae

It is home to wildlife such as ring-tailed lemurs, the long-tailed cat, the fossa, spiny hedgehog-like mammals called tenrecs and nocturnal primates known as aye-ayes.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2023

The temporomandibular joint is the articulation between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa and articular tubercle of the skull temporal bone.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The tendons of these muscles form the popliteal fossa, the diamond-shaped space at the back of the knee.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Articular tubercle—The smooth ridge located immediately anterior to the mandibular fossa.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Of or pertaining to the diameter of the cranium, from one parietal fossa to the other.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster

Describe the anterior, middle, and posterior cranial fossae and their boundaries, and give the midline structure that divides each into right and left areas.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The lesser wings of the sphenoid bone form the prominent ledge that marks the boundary between the anterior and middle cranial fossae.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The lesser wing of the sphenoid bone separates the anterior and middle cranial fossae.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

In, err, long… muscles – particularly big, strong muscles like those involved in any hypothetical trunk – leave visible attachment sites, such as crests, scars, or fossae.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 20, 2012

Consequently, it is not surprising to find a relatively weak muscle mass in the jaw of doves, and because the musculature is weak there are few pronounced osseous fossae, cristae and tubercles.

From Jaw Musculature of the Mourning and White-winged Doves by Robert L. Merz

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