fossilized
adjective
fos·sil·ized
ˈfä-sə-ˌlīzd
1
: having been changed into a fossil : subjected to fossilization
fossilized wood
And in 1997 he found several thousand fossilized eggs from a giant sauropod, or plant-eating dinosaur, just 120 miles north. The find included the first-known fossilized dinosaur embryos, as bits of fossilized dino-skin.—Eric Niiler
2
: old and unchanging or outmoded
fossilized notions
As the mountains get higher, the houses become tin-roof shacks, with yards full of fossilized appliances and ancient cars.—Elizabeth Gilbert
: made firm, fixed, or rigid by the passage of time
I love the living language more than the fossilized variety with its hardened meanings and set-in-stone lexicon.—Paul McFedries
I know when I took photos in the past I was looking either for particularly artistic shots or ones that might become fossilized memories adorning a mantel.—Robert W. Lucky
Cite this Entry
“Fossilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fossilized. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.
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