English Dictionary

FOSSILISE

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fossilise mean? 

FOSSILISE (verb)
  The verb FOSSILISE has 2 senses:

1. convert to a fossilplay

2. become mentally inflexibleplay

  Familiarity information: FOSSILISE used as a verb is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


FOSSILISE (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they fossilise  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it fossilises  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: fossilised  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: fossilised  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: fossilising  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Convert to a fossil

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

fossilise; fossilize

Context example:

The little animals fossilized and are now embedded in the limestone

Hypernyms (to "fossilise" is one way to...):

convert (change the nature, purpose, or function of something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fossilise"):

lapidify; petrify (change into stone)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something ----s something

Derivation:

fossilisation (the process of fossilizing a plant or animal that existed in some earlier age; the process of being turned to stone)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Become mentally inflexible

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

fossilise; fossilize

Hypernyms (to "fossilise" is one way to...):

age; get on; maturate; mature; senesce (grow old or older)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

fossilisation (becoming inflexible or out of date)


 Context examples 


The study found that goethite in St Oswald's Bay hosted many microbes as well as traces of their fossilised organic remains.

(Red Planet May Have Harbored Life in Past, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Never, Never... allow anyone to persuade you to suspend your common sense." (English proverb)

"The more you know, the less you need." (Aboriginal Australian proverbs)

"All sunshine makes a desert." (Arabic proverb)

"After rain comes sunshine" (Dutch proverb)



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