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fossorial

[ fo-sawr-ee-uhl, -sohr- ]
/ fɒˈsɔr i əl, -ˈsoʊr- /

adjective Zoology.

digging or burrowing.
adapted for digging, as the hands, feet, and bone structure of moles, armadillos, and aardvarks.

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Origin of fossorial

1830–40; <Late Latin fossōri(us) adapted to digging (equivalent to Latin fod(ere) to dig + tōrius-tory1, with dt>ss) + -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM fossorial

sub·fos·so·ri·al, adjective

Words nearby fossorial

fossil gum, fossiliferous, fossilize, fossil record, fossor, fossorial, fossula, foster, fosterage, foster brother, foster care
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fossorial

British Dictionary definitions for fossorial

fossorial
/ (fɒˈsɔːrɪəl) /

adjective

(of the forelimbs and skeleton of burrowing animals) adapted for digging
(of burrowing animals, such as the mole and armadillo) having limbs of this type

Word Origin for fossorial

C19: from Medieval Latin fossōrius from Latin fossor digger, from fodere to dig
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012