French word

fossile

Pronunciation

IPA/fosil/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfossil

Example

Regarde ce fossile !

Look at this fossil!

Illustration for fossile (fossil)

More examples

Le musée expose un fossile de dinosaure.

The museum displays a dinosaur fossil.

Core concept

A preserved piece or imprint of ancient life, locked in rock and brought to light by digging.

Common phrases

  • un fossile de dinosaure

    a dinosaur fossil

Similar words

os: A hard, whitish body tissue that supports an animal.
reste: A remnant left from an ancient living organism.
trace: A small mark or sign produced by an object or living thing.
empreinte: A mark showing the shape of something pressed into ground or rock.

Definition in French

Restes pétrifiés ou traces d'un animal ou d'une plante ancienne, conservés dans la roche et retrouvés par fouille.

Word origin

French fossile comes from Medieval Latin fossilis, meaning 'dug up', and ultimately from Latin fodere, 'to dig'.

Usage tips

  • Fossile is a masculine noun despite its final e, so the usual article is un fossile.

Opposites

Related words

  • fossiliserfossilizeverb
  • fossilisationfossilizationnoun

Word lists with this word