trilobite

[trahy-luh-bahyt]

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).

trilobite

/ ˈtraɪləˌbaɪt, ˌtraɪləˈbɪtɪk /

noun

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

trilobite

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.

Other Word Forms

• trilobitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trilobite¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of trilobite¹

C19: from New Latin Trilobītēs , from Greek trilobos having three lobes; see _tri- , _lobe

Example Sentences

Of the 20,000 species of trilobites, fewer than 40 have soft tissue preservation.

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Many trilobites have been found with their exoskeletons fossilized in a curled position, as if holding a perpetual stomach crunch.

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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.

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But one major aspect of trilobites’ ecology that had long eluded researchers was their diet.

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A private collector first discovered the trilobite fossil more than a century ago—or at least the small sphere of ancient sediment that contained it.

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