Coprolite
/ˈkɒp.rə.laɪt/noun
A fossilized piece of dung.
Did you know?The term was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots, and coprolites became so prized that some were even ground up in the Victorian era as fertilizer and industrial material.
Etymological Timeline
Greek
Greek
kópros (κόπρος)
“dung, feces”
Greek
Greek
líthos (λίθος)
“stone”
1830s
English
coprolite
“a fossilized dung mass”
Modern English
English
coprolite
“fossilized dung”
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