fossil (fosil)

and n. [Formerly also fo ile; Lo! from the depth of many a yawning mine Thy fo il treasures rise. Dodsley , Agriculture, iii. 2. Pertaining to or resembling fo ils; preserved by natural inhumation, as an organic IMG:content-1753.png:[blocks in formation] 3. Figuratively, antiquated; superannuated; outgrown; belonging to a past epoch or discarded system: as, a fo il statesman; fo il manners or literature. - Fo il bezoar, button mold, copal, etc. See the nouns.-Fo il charcoal, Same as mother - of - coal (which see, under coal ). - Fo il cork, flax, paper, and wood, popular names for asbestos respectively of cork-like, flax-like, or paper-like texture, or resembling fo ilized wood. - Fo il farina. See farina.-Fo il flour, infusorial earth, as that often found beneath peat-beds: a white, impalpable, flour-like powder, consisting for the most part of the silicious shells of diatoms. - Fo il ivory, ivory furnished by the tusks fo ulet A large proportion of aquatic creatures have structures that do not admit of fo ilization . H. Spencer , Universal Progre , p. 349. fo ilize (fos'il-iz), v.; pret. and pp. fo ilized , ppr. fo ilizing . [= F. fo il i ser ; fo il + -ize.] I. trans. 1. To reduce to a fo il cond i tion; convert into a fo il: as, to fo ilize bones or wood.-2. To render like a fo il; cause to become antiquated or out of harmony with present time and circumstances and the progre of ideas: as, age has a tendency to fo ilize men's minds and ideas. There, indeed, you are among the French, the fo ilised remains of the old régime. Bulwer , Pelham, xxii. II. in trans. 1. To become or be changed into a fo il. - 2. To become antiquated or obsolete; become out of harmony with the present time and circumstances by falling behind the progre of ideas. Also spelled fo ilise .