Fossil
/ˈfɒs.əl/noun
The preserved remains, impression, or trace of a once-living organism from the past.
Did you know?The word came through Latin *fossilis*, from *fodere* meaning “to dig,” so a fossil is literally something brought to light by excavation, not a mystical name for bones.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰedʰ-
“to dig, pierce, or strike”
Latin
Latin
fodere
“to dig”
Latin
Latin
fossilis
“dug up; obtained by digging”
16th Century
Latin/English
fossil
“something dug from the earth, especially a mineral or natural object”
Modern English
English
fossil
“the preserved remains or trace of an organism from the geological past”