fos·sil·ize

[fos-uh-lahyz] verb, fos·sil·ized, fos·sil·iz·ing.
verb (used with object)
1.
Geology. to convert into a fossil; replace organic with mineral substances in the remains of an organism.
2.
to change as if into mere lifeless remains or traces of the past.
3.
to make rigidly antiquated: Time has fossilized such methods.
verb (used without object)
4.
to become a fossil or fossillike: The plant fossilized in comparatively recent geologic time.
5.
Linguistics. (of a linguistic form, feature, rule, etc.) to become permanently established in the interlanguage of a second-language learner in a form that is deviant from the target-language norm and that continues to appear in performance regardless of further exposure to the target language.
00:10
Fossilize is always a great word to know.
So is core. Does it mean:
outer layer of the earth, about 22 miles deep under the continents and 6 miles deep under the oceans
central portion of the earth believed to be composed mainly of iron and nickel in a molten state
Also, especially British, fos·sil·ise.


Origin:
1785–95; fossil + -ize

fos·sil·iz·a·ble, adjective
fos·sil·i·za·tion, noun
sem·i·fos·sil·ized, adjective
un·fos·sil·ized, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To fossilize
Collins
World English Dictionary
fossilize or fossilise (ˈfɒsɪˌlaɪz) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to convert or be converted into a fossil
2.  to become or cause to become antiquated or inflexible
 
fossilise or fossilise
 
vb
 
'fossilizable or fossilise
 
adj
 
'fossilisable or fossilise
 
adj
 
fossili'zation or fossilise
 
n
 
fossili'sation or fossilise
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
fossil   (fŏs'əl)  Pronunciation Key 
The remains or imprint of an organism from a previous geologic time. A fossil can consist of the preserved tissues of an organism, as when encased in amber, ice, or pitch, or more commonly of the hardened relic of such tissues, as when organic matter is replaced by dissolved minerals. Hardened fossils are often found in layers of sedimentary rock and along the beds of rivers that flow through them. See also index fossil, microfossil, trace fossil.

fossilize verb
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Sharks are made of cartilage, which does not fossilize well.
Words may simply have their semantic range altered, or existing words may fossilize in phrases acting as single semantic units.
Because the brain does not fossilize, they studied endocasts, imprints of the brain left in the skull.
Related Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT