fossil

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Geology, Biology

fos·sil /ˈfɒsəl $ ˈfɑː-/ ●●○ noun [countable]  1  HEGan animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago and that has been preserved, or the shape of one of these animals or plants that has been preserved in rock 化石 fossils of early reptiles 早期爬行动物的化石 Marine sponges have a long fossil record (=their development has been recorded over a long period). 海绵动物留下了漫长的化石记录。 →4  See picture of 见图 STONE →5 see picture at 见图 stone12. informalOLD/NOT YOUNG an insulting word for an old person 老古董〔对老年人的蔑称〕

Examples from the Corpus

fossil• I wanted to go out collecting fossils at a place about a mile from here.• Several dinosaur fossils were found in Montana.• We know about them from fossil records.• There have been several suggestions as to how fossil agnathans may fit into a scheme such as this.• Lake beds are thought to be the most likely source of fossils.• Their fossils are commonest in Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks.• Paleontologists have found many transitional fossils representing intermediate forms in the evolution of one major form of life into another.fossil record• Most are microscopic, and many have no skeleton and therefore lack a fossil record.• We know about them from fossil records.• In the 1850s the fossil record began to yield evidence for a new kind of trend within the development of each class.• Nevertheless this is not to deny that there are some very curious features about the fossil record.• For heaven's sake, Rachel, look at the fossil record as a whole.• But the fossil record of the insects is far from perfect - very sporadic and selective.• The greatest problems in the fossil record, however, are the sudden extinctions.• The fossil record shows that species do not evolve, .Origin fossil (1500-1600) Latin fossilis “dug up”, from fodere “to dig”

fos·sil nounChineseSyllable  

or thousands lived an plant animal Corpus that of many

fossil
fos‧sil /ˈfɒsəl $ ˈfɑː-/ noun [countable]
1. an animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago and that has been preserved, or the shape of one of these animals or plants that has been preserved in rock:
    fossils of early reptiles
    Marine sponges have a long fossil record (=their development has been recorded over a long period).
2. informal an insulting word for an old person
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ rock a piece of the hard substance that forms the main surface of the Earth. In British English, rocks are too large to pick up, but in American English, they can either be large or small: the rocks along the riverbanks
   ▪ stone a small piece of rock, found on the ground or near the surface of the ground. Speakers of American English are more likely to use the word rock than stone: The children were throwing stones into the water.
   ▪ boulder a large round piece of rock: She climbed over a few boulders at the edge of the sea.
   ▪ pebble a small smooth stone found especially on a beach or on the bottom of a river: The beach was covered with smooth white pebbles.
   ▪ fossil a rock which has the shape of an animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago: fossils of early reptiles

fos·silBrE /ˈfɒsl/ 🔊NAmE /ˈfɑːsl/ 🔊 nounthe remains of an animal or a plant which have become hard and turned into rock 化石◆fossils over two million years old两百多万年的化石(informal, disapproving) an old person, especially one who is unable to accept new ideas or adapt to changes 老人；（尤指）老顽固，老古董