fossilization
Americannoun
-
fossilizations
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Explanation
Fossilization is the process of an animal or plant becoming preserved in a hard, petrified form. Fossilization often results in the impression of an organism being left in a rock. When a leaf or an animal skeleton becomes a fossil, that's fossilization. Fossils are the preserved remains of a prehistoric creature — fossilization takes a very long time, so if you see a fossil, you know it's at least 10,000 years old. Originally, fossil was defined as "anything that's dug up," from the Latin fossilis, "dug up." By the 18th century, both fossil and fossilization specifically referred to "the geological remains of a plant or animal."
Vocabulary lists containing fossilization
Evolutionary BIology - Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity - Middle School
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Paleontology - High School
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Paleontology - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The vessels had been preserved as iron-rich mineralized casts, which is a common fossilization process.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2026
"If this was true, they wouldn't survive fossilization except under very special circumstances where rapid fossilization outcompeted degradation."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026
These fossils are exceptionally rare because they preserved not only the feathers but also their original coloration, thanks to unique fossilization conditions in the region.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026
A team of researchers has developed an innovative method based on fossilization processes to seal cracks and fractures in rock using a "concretion-forming resin."
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024
A large proportion of aquatic creatures have structures which do not admit of fossilization; while of the rest, the great majority are destroyed, when dead, by various kinds of scavengers.
From Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I by Herbert Spencer
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