German Conversation · Level 11
90 words
German word
Fossil
Pronunciation
IPA/fɔˈsiːl/
Meaning
- neuter nounfossil
Example
Wir fanden viele Fossilien am Strand.
We found many fossils on the beach.
More examples
Im Labor konnten die Fossilien mikroskopisch untersucht werden.
In the laboratory, the fossils could be examined under a microscope.
Core concept
A preserved trace of past life locked into stone, such as a shell, bone, or footprint.
Common phrases
Fossilien ausgraben
dig up fossils
ein Fossil identifizieren
identify a fossil
teilweise erhaltene Fossilien
partly preserved fossils
Similar words
Versteinerung: A hardened fossil created as minerals replace the original organic material.
Überrest: A surviving part or bone from a creature that lived long ago.
Relikt: Something old that remains as a surviving remnant or sign of the past.
Abdruck: An impression of a plant or animal preserved as a shape in rock.
Definition in German
Als Fossil bezeichnet man Reste oder Spuren von Organismen, die in Gestein konserviert sind.
Word origin
German Fossil comes through Latin fossilis, meaning "dug up," from fodere, "to dig."
Usage tips
- Fossil is neuter in German: das Fossil, with the plural die Fossilien.
Related words
- Fossilienfundfossil findnoun
- fossilfossiladjective