fossorial

[ fo-sawr-ee-uhl, -sohr- ]

adjectiveZoology.
  1. digging or burrowing.

  2. adapted for digging, as the hands, feet, and bone structure of moles, armadillos, and aardvarks.

Origin of fossorial

1
1830–40; <Late Latin fossōri(us) adapted to digging (equivalent to Latin fod(ere) to dig + tōrius-tory1, with dt>ss) + -al1

Other words from fossorial

  • sub·fos·so·ri·al, adjective

Words Nearby fossorial

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How to use fossorial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fossorial

fossorial

/ (fɒˈsɔːrɪəl) /


adjective
  1. (of the forelimbs and skeleton of burrowing animals) adapted for digging

  2. (of burrowing animals, such as the mole and armadillo) having limbs of this type

Origin of fossorial

1
C19: from Medieval Latin fossōrius from Latin fossor digger, from fodere to dig

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