Scolopendrites
/ˌskɒləˈpɛn draɪts/noun
Fossil remains or impressions resembling a centipede, especially those attributed to ancient arthropods.
Did you know?The root was also used in antiquity for the hart’s-tongue fern because its long, segmented fronds were thought to resemble a centipede.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
skōlopendra
“Centipede; literally a many-legged, spiny creature, though the internal formation is not fully certain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
scolopendra
“Centipede or similar many-legged creature.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
scolopendrium
“Hart’s-tongue fern, named from the resemblance of its fronds to a centipede.”
19th Century
Scientific English
scolopendrite
“A fossil or fossil impression resembling a scolopendra, or centipede.”
Modern English
English
scolopendrites
“Plural of scolopendrite: centipede-like fossil remains or impressions.”
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