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

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)

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 medial surface of the upper ilium forms the iliac fossa, with the arcuate line marking the inferior limit of this area.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Superior to the spine is the narrow supraspinous fossa, and inferior to the spine is the broad infraspinous fossa.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Located in the floor of the anterior cranial fossa at the midline is a portion of the ethmoid bone, consisting of the upward projecting crista galli and to either side of this, the cribriform plates.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The superior border of these orbital processes, situated on the prolongation of the corresponding parietal crests, contributes to limit the temporal fossa.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by ?douard Cuyer

From anterior to posterior, the fossae increase in depth.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

All of these fossae provide large surface areas for the attachment of muscles that cross the shoulder joint to act on the humerus.

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

No distinction between the orbits and temporal fossae.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various