trilobite

American  

[trahy-luh-bahyt] / ˈtraɪ ləˌbaɪt /

noun

1. any marine arthropod of the extinct class Trilobita, from the Paleozoic Era, having a flattened, oval body varying in length from 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) or less to 2 feet (61 centimeters).

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trilobite British  

/ ˈtraɪləˌbaɪt, ˌtraɪləˈbɪtɪk /

noun

1. any extinct marine arthropod of the group Trilobita , abundant in Palaeozoic times, having a segmented exoskeleton divided into three parts

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trilobite Scientific  

/ trī′lə-bīt′ /

1. Any of numerous extinct and mostly small arthropods of the subphylum Trilobita that lived during the Paleozoic Era and are extremely common as fossils. Trilobites had a hard outer covering divided into three lengthwise and three widthwise sections. Their heads had two prominent compound eyes similar in structure to those of modern insects.

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Other Word Forms

• trilobitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of trilobite

First recorded in 1825–35; from New Latin Trilobites, equivalent to Greek trílob(os) “three-lobed” + -ītēs noun suffix; tri-, lobe, -ite ¹

Example Sentences

"I started my PhD going through all of these thin sections of trilobites, imaging them, and trying to figure what we can actually see," Losso said.

From Science Daily

Their findings, published on Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, describe the interlocking anatomy of a rolled-up trilobite for the first time.

From New York Times

Ten newly discovered species of trilobites, hidden for 490 million years in a little-studied part of Thailand, could be the missing pieces in an intricate puzzle of ancient world geography.

From Science Daily

The trilobite specimen hails from a well-known fossil deposit near Prague.

From Scientific American

The final meal of this animal—a trilobite—still sat in its guts as sediment buried its body in the sea floor of an ancient Paleozoic sea.

From Science Magazine