What does fossilise mean?
Fossilise means to convert into, or become converted into, a fossil — the process by which the remains of once-living organisms are gradually replaced or infused with minerals over vast spans of time, preserving their form in stone. The word also has an established figurative use: to fossilise an idea, institution, or way of life is to render it rigid, unchanging, and out of touch with the present. In this extended sense it often carries a faintly critical tone, suggesting stagnation rather than stability. The spelling "fossilise" marks it as the British form; American English writes "fossilize". It is most at home in scientific writing about palaeontology and geology, but the metaphorical sense appears widely in commentary on politics, culture, and personal habits. The word derives from "fossil", which comes ultimately from Latin fossilis, meaning "dug up" — originally applied to anything excavated from the earth.
verbTo turn into, or become converted into, a fossil; figuratively, to make or become rigidly fixed and unchanging in ideas, habits, or institutions.
- To convert organic material into a fossil through mineralisation over geological time.
- To make or become fixed, rigid, and resistant to change (of ideas, habits, or institutions) — used figuratively.
"Over millions of years, the buried remains of marine creatures fossilised into limestone."
"The ammonites had fossilised beautifully within the shale."
"By his sixties, his opinions on politics had completely fossilised."
Every fossil in every museum on Earth exists because something — a plant or animal — was lucky enough to have fossilised before decay could erase it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fossilise
Fossilise derives from "fossil", which comes from the Latin fossilis, meaning "dug up" or "obtained by digging", from fodere, "to dig". Originally, "fossil" referred to any object excavated from the ground, including minerals, before narrowing in the eighteenth century to mean preserved organic remains. The verb fossilise formed from it describes both that preservation process and, figuratively, the hardening of thought or practice. Its sibling spellings and cognates include "petrify", from Latin petra (rock), and "ossify", from Latin os (bone).
How fossilise is actually used
Primarily British in this spelling; American English uses "fossilize". The literal sense belongs mostly to geology and palaeontology, while the figurative sense carries a mildly negative connotation of stagnation or outdated thinking.
Easily confused with fossilise
"Fossilise" is simply the British spelling of the same verb; "fossilize" is the American spelling with identical meaning.