fossil

American  

[fos-uhl] / ˈfɒs əl /

noun

fossils plural

1. any remains, impression, or trace of a living thing of a former geologic age, as a skeleton, footprint, etc.

2. a markedly outdated or old-fashioned person or thing.

3. a linguistic form that is archaic except in certain restricted contexts, as nonce in for the nonce, or that follows a rule or pattern that is no longer productive, as the sentence So be it.

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adjective

1. of the nature of a fossil.

   fossil insects.

2. belonging to a past epoch or discarded system; antiquated.

   a fossil approach to economics.

fossil British  

/ ˈfɒsəl /

noun

1. 1. a relic, remnant, or representation of an organism that existed in a past geological age, or of the activity of such an organism, occurring in the form of mineralized bones, shells, etc, as casts, impressions, and moulds, and as frozen perfectly preserved organisms

   2. ( as modifier )

      fossil insects

2. informal

   1. a person, idea, thing, etc, that is outdated or incapable of change

   2. ( as modifier )

      fossil politicians

3. linguistics a form once current but now appearing only in one or two special contexts, as for example stead , which is found now only in instead ( of ) and in phrases like in his stead

4. obsolete any rock or mineral dug out of the earth

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fossil Scientific  

/ fŏs′əl /

1. The remains or imprint of an organism from a previous geologic time. A fossil can consist of the preserved tissues of an organism, as when encased in amber, ice, or pitch, or more commonly of the hardened relic of such tissues, as when organic matter is replaced by dissolved minerals. Hardened fossils are often found in layers of sedimentary rock and along the beds of rivers that flow through them.

2. See also index fossil microfossil trace fossil

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fossil Cultural  

1. The evidence in rock of the presence of a plant or an animal from an earlier geological period. Fossils are formed when minerals in groundwater replace materials in bones and tissue, creating a replica in stone of the original organism or of their tracks. The study of fossils is the domain of paleontology. The oldest fossils (of bacteria) are 3.8 billion years old.

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Discover More

The term is used figuratively to refer to a person with very old-fashioned or outmoded viewpoints: “That old fossil thinks that men should wear suits at the theater!”

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subfossil
  noun
• fossillike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fossils
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fossil

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin fossilis “dug up,” from foss(us) “dug” (past participle of fodere “to dig”) + -ilis -ile ( def. ); replacing earlier fossile, from French

Explanation

Fossils are the really, really old remains of a plant or animal — so old they've turned to stone. Fossil is also an insult for an old or old-fashioned person. Fossils are very important to scientists who study animals: they're one of the ways we learn about the beasts and critters of the past. A fossil is an imprint of the bones of that animal in rock or stone. If you see a reconstruction of a dinosaur in a museum, scientists used fossils to figure out how it should look. Also, calling someone a fossil is like calling them a geezer or old fogey. It's not a compliment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fossil fossils

"But the climate system now is fundamentally different due to fossil fuel-driven climate change," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The fossil market gained momentum after the 2020 sale of Stan, a T.Rex, for $31.8 million to the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Some scientists have told the BBC that the auction may herald a new era in fossil collecting by the ultra-rich.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

A remarkable fossil at Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies is offering scientists an unusually detailed glimpse into how Tyrannosaurus may have attacked its prey.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

No fossil fuels or added fertilizer or chemicals needed.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

"The United States is the only country in the world where fossils like this are considered personal property," Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, told AFP before the auction.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The U.S. is the only country where fossils excavated on private land can be sold, prompting a long-running debate about whether dinosaurs should be privately owned.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

“The value of fossils has changed tremendously,” says Peter Larson, head of the Black Hills Institute who dug up both Sue and Stan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

One of the most prolific early collectors of fossils was Mary Anning.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

“Since when did you know about fossils and Latin names?”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• relic
• skeleton
• specimen
• trace