microfossil

[ mahy-kroh-fos-il ]

/ ˌmaɪ kroʊˈfɒs ɪl /

noun

a fossil so small that it can be studied and identified only with a microscope.

Words nearby microfossil

microfilm, microfilm plotter, microfilter, microflora, microform, microfossil, microgamete, microgametocyte, microgametophyte, microgastria, microgeneration

Compare macrofossil.

Origin of microfossil

First recorded in 1920–25; micro- + fossil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for microfossil

microfossil

/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊˌfɒsəl) /

noun

a fossil generally less than 0.5 millimetre in size, such as a protozoan, bacterium, or pollen grain

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

Science definitions for microfossil

microfossil

[ mī′krō-fŏs′əl ]

A microscopic fossil, as of a pollen grain or unicellular organism.