fossa

¹ American  

[fos-uh] / ˈfɒs ə /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

fossae

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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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

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

As the femoral artery passes posterior to the knee near the popliteal fossa, it is called the popliteal artery.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

A small area of the ethmoid bone, consisting of the crista galli and cribriform plates, is located at the midline of this fossa.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The middle cranial fossa is divided at the midline by the upward bony prominence of the sella turcica, a part of the sphenoid bone.

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 Cuyer, ?douard