fossils
fossils — noun
1. the hardened remains or imprints of plants, animals, or other living things that
the hardened remains or imprints of plants, animals, or other living things that lived millions of years ago, now found inside rock or sometimes soil.
Rodrigo found tiny fish fossils in the cliffs behind his grandmother's house.
fossils of [organism] in [location]
Museum staff carefully cleaned the dinosaur fossils with soft brushes and tiny picks.
collocation: dinosaur fossils / clean fossils
Hoa learned that some fossils are millions of years older than humans.
Workers digging the new road uncovered shell fossils dating from when the area was an ocean.
- remains
general term; not specifically about ancient stone-preserved organisms.
- petrifications
technical; emphasizes the turning-to-stone process.
文法句型
fossils of [organism]
用法筆記
Almost always plural in everyday talk because finds usually involve many specimens; singular 'fossil' is used when pointing to one specific item.
常見錯誤
2. older people whose tastes, opinions, or habits feel hopelessly outdated, especia
older people whose tastes, opinions, or habits feel hopelessly outdated, especially when they refuse to try anything new.
The teenagers laughed and called their uncles fossils for still using flip phones in 2024.
informal: call someone a fossil
Sahil joked that the board members were fossils who blocked every modern proposal.
Don't act like fossils — try the new app before deciding it's too complicated.
Iris said the gym managers were fossils because they refused to allow loud music.
- trendsetters
people setting new fashions or ideas, the opposite attitude.
文法句型
call someone a fossil
用法筆記
Mildly insulting; usually said in a teasing way among friends or family. Distinguish from sense 1 by social context — no rocks or ancient creatures involved.
常見錯誤
fossils — adjective
1. describes plant or animal traces that have lasted from very long-ago geological
describes plant or animal traces that have lasted from very long-ago geological periods, usually found hardened inside rock.
Élise photographed the fossils ferns pressed into the gray cliff wall above the beach.
attributive: fossils [noun]
The museum's new wing displays fossils insects trapped in golden amber stones.
Eli's class examined fossils leaves under bright lamps in the school laboratory.
Workers near Tariro's village uncovered fossils bones believed to be from giant reptiles.
- petrified
specifies that the organic material has been replaced by mineral; narrower scope.
- living
actively alive, not preserved from a past age.
文法句型
fossils [noun]
用法筆記
Used only before a noun, never after a linking verb. The more common modern form is 'fossil' (singular) used attributively, e.g. 'fossil ferns'.
常見錯誤
2. having qualities that remind people of a fossil, such as being very old, hardene
having qualities that remind people of a fossil, such as being very old, hardened, or no longer changing.
Roya complained that the company's fossils policies had not changed since the 1980s.
metaphorical: outdated and unchanging
Xiu described her grandfather's fossils handwriting as something from a forgotten century.
Critics called the prime minister's speech a fossils version of old wartime slogans.
The library kept its fossils filing system long after every other office switched to computers.
- antiquated
more formal; same idea of being outdated.
- modern
current, up to date.
文法句型
fossils [noun]
用法筆記
Mostly figurative; used to dismiss something as old-fashioned or frozen in time. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes actual prehistoric remains.
3. connected with coal, oil, or natural gas — fuels that come from the buried remai
connected with coal, oil, or natural gas — fuels that come from the buried remains of very ancient plants and animals.
Anthony's report showed that fossils fuels still supply most of the country's electricity today.
collocation: fossils fuels supply electricity
Climate scientists urge governments to cut fossils energy use within the next decade.
collocation: cut fossils energy use
Maja's town voted to replace its fossils fuel power plant with a large solar farm.
Burning fossils fuels releases carbon dioxide that warms the planet's atmosphere.
- hydrocarbon
scientific term for the same family of fuels; more technical.
- renewable
energy from solar, wind, or water — not from ancient buried organisms.
文法句型
fossils [fuel|energy]
用法筆記
Almost always appears in fixed pairings: 'fossils fuel(s)' and 'fossils energy'. Distinguish from sense 1 (the rocks themselves) — this sense is about the energy source.