fossil
gb/fˈɑsəl/ us/fˈɑsəl/
B1
English
~ 9700
kövület, őskövület, fosszilis, nyelvi kövület, megkövesedett, begyöpösödött
NOUN
B1
1
kövület
B2
Usage pattern:
a fossil of [an animal/plant] in [rock/place]
The museum has a huge fossil of a Tyrannosaurus rex in its main hall.
A múzeum főcsarnokában egy hatalmas Tyrannosaurus rex-kövület van kiállítva.
Scientists used tiny fish fossils to learn about the climate millions of years ago.
A tudósok apró halkövületek alapján következtettek arra, milyen volt az éghajlat több millió évvel ezelőtt.
We found a fossil leaf perfectly preserved in the slab of shale.
The fossil was embedded in the rock, so they had to remove it very carefully.
These footprints are actually fossils made by early reptiles.
Learner examples
My son loves to look at dinosaur fossils.
A fiam imádja nézegetni a dinoszaurusz-kövületeket.
They found a fossil of a big fish in the mountain.
Egy nagy hal kövületét találták meg a hegyben.
This rock has a small shell fossil inside it.
We saw many plant fossils in the science museum.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think a fossil must be a bone, but in science it can also be a footprint, leaf, or any trace of ancient life preserved in rock.
Meaning
preserved remains of ancient life
Collocations
dinosaur fossil
|plant fossil
|fossil remains
|fossil record
|fossil bones
|fossil evidence
Synonyms
remains (General word for what is left of something; not limited to ancient life or rock.)
|
petrifaction (More technical and less common; often refers specifically to turning organic material to stone.)
Antonyms
living organism (Contrasts a dead, preserved specimen with something that is currently alive.)
|
recent remains (Emphasizes that fossils are extremely old, not from the recent past.)
Themes
science
|nature
|history
Definition
The hard remains or mark of a very old plant or animal, kept in rock for a long time.
A preserved remain, impression, or trace of a once-living plant or animal from the distant past, typically found in rock.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
őskövület
B2
Usage pattern:
call [someone] an old fossil
He’s such an old fossil, still refusing to use email.
Igazi őskövület: még mindig nem hajlandó e-mailt használni.
Don’t be a fossil—try something new for once.
Ne legyél már őskövület – próbálj ki végre valami újat.
They called the former boss a fossil because he blocked every modern idea.
I feel like a fossil when my kids talk about new apps.
In that company, only fossils still believe people should never work from home.
Learner examples
My grandpa jokes that he is a fossil because he hates smartphones.
A nagyapám azzal viccelődik, hogy ő már őskövület, mert utálja az okostelefonokat.
Stop acting like a fossil and listen to new ideas.
Ne viselkedj úgy, mint egy őskövület, és hallgass az új ötletekre.
Some students think the old teacher is a fossil.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this word for any old person. In English it usually also suggests the person has old-fashioned ideas or refuses change, and it can sound rude or disrespectful.
Meaning
very old-fashioned person
Collocations
old fossil
|boring fossil
|stubborn fossil
|act like a fossil
|stuck-up fossil
Synonyms
dinosaur (Similar informal meaning for an out-of-date person; can sound slightly softer or more playful.)
|
old-timer (Less rude; focuses more on age or experience than on resistance to change.)
Antonyms
modern thinker (Highlights someone open to new ideas, unlike a 'fossil'.)
|
open-minded person (Emphasizes willingness to accept change and new ideas.)
Themes
people
|attitudes
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A joking or rude word for a person who is very old or does not want to change old ideas.
A humorous or mildly insulting term for someone who is very old or has extremely old-fashioned ideas and resists change.
B2
TECHNICAL
3
fosszilis
B2
Usage pattern:
fossil [fuel/remains/record/species]
Many governments are trying to reduce their use of fossil fuels.
Sok kormány igyekszik csökkenteni a fosszilis tüzelőanyagok felhasználását.
The fossil record shows several mass extinction events.
A fosszilis leletanyag több tömeges kihalási eseményről tanúskodik.
Fossil remains of early humans were discovered in the cave.
Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide.
She specializes in fossil plants from the Jurassic period.
Learner examples
Coal and oil are fossil fuels.
A szén és a kőolaj fosszilis tüzelőanyagok.
We must use less fossil fuel to protect the planet.
Kevesebb fosszilis tüzelőanyagot kell használnunk, hogy megvédjük a bolygót.
Scientists study the fossil record to learn about the past.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"fuel fossils"* instead of "fossil fuels". Also, some think "fossil" as an adjective only means "very old", but in science it specifically relates to fossils or fossil-based fuels.
Meaning
relating to fossils or fossil fuels
Collocations
fossil fuel
|fossil fuels
|fossil record
|fossil remains
|fossil species
|fossil evidence
Synonyms
paleontological (More formal and technical; used mostly in academic or scientific writing.)
|
carbon-based (fuel) (Focuses more on chemical makeup than on origin in ancient life.)
Antonyms
renewable (Opposes 'fossil' when talking about energy sources that can be replenished quickly.)
|
living (Contrasts fossil organisms or remains with organisms that are still alive.)
Themes
science
|environment
|energy
|nature
Definition
About fossils, or about fuels like coal, oil, and gas that come from very old plants and animals.
Relating to fossils or to fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
a fossil in [the language/a phrase]
In the phrase "kith and kin", the word "kith" is a fossil no longer used elsewhere.
Az angol „kith and kin” kifejezésben a „kith” szó nyelvi kövület, amelyet máshol már nem használnak.
Some irregular plural forms in English can be seen as linguistic fossils.
Az angolban néhány rendhagyó többes számú alak nyelvi kövületnek tekinthető.
The teacher explained that "aught" in old expressions is a fossil from an earlier number system.
This construction is a grammatical fossil that survives only in a few legal phrases.
Linguists study fossils in language to understand how it has changed over time.
Learner examples
The word "kith" is a fossil in English.
A „kith” szó nyelvi kövület az angolban.
Some very old words live on as fossils in set phrases.
Néhány nagyon régi szó állandósult kifejezésekben él tovább nyelvi kövületként.
Linguists call this strange old form a fossil.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical meaning with the everyday meaning related to ancient bones; in linguistics, a 'fossil' is an old language form, not something in rock.
Meaning
linguistic form preserved from earlier stage
Collocations
linguistic fossil
|grammatical fossil
|a fossil form
|a fossil phrase
Synonyms
archaism (A more general term for an old word or style; does not always imply it only survives in fixed expressions.)
Antonyms
neologism (A newly created word, contrasting with an old, leftover form.)
|
productive form (A pattern that speakers can still use freely to create new examples.)
Themes
language
|education
|communication
Definition
A word or part of grammar that still exists in a few fixed phrases, but is not used normally in the language anymore.
In linguistics, an element such as a word, phrase, or grammatical pattern that survives only in fixed expressions from an earlier stage of the language and is no longer used freely.
C1
INFORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
fossil [attitudes/ideas/mindset]
The company’s fossil attitudes toward women are finally starting to change.
A cég nőkkel kapcsolatos megkövesedett hozzáállása végre kezd megváltozni.
Some politicians still defend fossil social ideas from the 1950s.
Egyes politikusok még mindig az 1950-es évekből megmaradt, megkövesedett társadalmi nézeteket védik.
Universities need to move away from fossil teaching methods that ignore technology.
His fossil mindset makes it hard for him to work in a fast-changing industry.
They challenged the fossil views that had guided the organization for decades.
Learner examples
The school has some fossil rules about clothes.
Az iskolában még vannak megkövesedett öltözködési szabályok.
Her parents have fossil ideas about dating.
A szüleinek megkövesedett elképzelései vannak a randizásról.
These fossil views do not fit modern life.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this adjective because they know the noun meaning; note that describing ideas as "fossil" is much less common than calling a person a "fossil" or talking about "fossil fuels".
Meaning
extremely old-fashioned or outdated
Collocations
fossil attitudes
|fossil ideas
|fossil mindset
|fossil views
Synonyms
old-fashioned (More common and neutral; 'fossil' sounds stronger and more negative.)
|
outdated (Focuses on not being modern; 'fossil' adds a sense of stubbornness.)
Antonyms
progressive (Suggests forward-looking ideas, opposite of fossil attitudes.)
|
modern (Emphasizes being up to date rather than stuck in the past.)
Themes
attitudes
|society
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
Very old-fashioned and not open to new ideas or ways of doing things.
Having attitudes, beliefs, or habits that are seen as extremely old-fashioned and resistant to change.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fossil
IPA
GB/fˈɑsəl/
US/fˈɑsəl/
Syllables & stress
fossil (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fossil)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: fossil
Noun
- Base: fossil
- Plural: fossils
Word family
Forms
fossils
noun
Core family
fossilize
verb
Related words
fossilization
noun
Expressions
fossil fuel
1/fˈɑsəl fjˈul/
fixed phrase
coal, oil, or natural gas
Fuel such as coal, oil, or gas that comes from very old plants and animals deep in the ground.
Examples
- Burning fossil fuel is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The country plans to phase out fossil fuel power stations by 2040.
fossil fuels
1/fˈɑsəl fjˈuəlz/
fixed phrase
group of non-renewable fuels
Coal, oil, and gas together, when we talk about them as non-renewable energy sources.
Examples
- Many scientists say we must quickly cut our use of fossil fuels.
- Renewable energy is becoming cheaper than fossil fuels in many countries.
living fossil
1/lˈɪvɪŋ fˈɑsəl/
fixed phrase
unchanged species from ancient times
An animal or plant that is alive today but looks almost the same as its very old fossil relatives.
Examples
- The coelacanth is often called a living fossil.
- Some scientists dislike the term "living fossil" because all species continue to evolve.
old fossil
1/ˈoʊld fˈɑsəl/
fixed phrase
informal
very old and stuck-in-the-past person
A joking or rude way to talk about someone who is very old and does not like new things.
Examples
- He’s just an old fossil who refuses to learn anything new.
- My kids call me an old fossil when I complain about social media.
the fossil record
1/ðə fˈɑsəl ɹˈɛkɚd/
fixed phrase
technical
all fossils showing life’s history
All the fossils that have been found, seen together as information about how life changed over time.
Examples
- The fossil record provides strong evidence for evolution.
- Gaps in the fossil record make some periods of Earth’s history hard to study.