Microfossil

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Fossilized remains of organisms so small they require a microscope to be seen
2. Small preserved traces of ancient life forms visible only under magnification
3. Minute fossilized evidence of microscopic life from prehistoric times

Etymology: A microfossil is a fossil so small that it can only be studied with a microscope, and its name is a plain compound: "micro-" from Greek "mīkrós," meaning small, joined to "fossil." The second half has a longer road behind it. "Fossil" comes from Latin "fossilis," meaning "dug up," from "fodere," to dig, and it reached English through French "fossile." English had "fossil" long before the prefix was added, so the new word simply shrinks the familiar idea down to a scale the naked eye cannot reach. The story here is less about a surprise than about how a scientific term is built from parts that already existed. Adding "micro-" to an established noun is a standard way to name a smaller version of a thing, and it lets specialists label a whole category of tiny remains, from single-celled organisms to fragments of shells, with one word.

Synonyms: fossil, paleontological specimen, tiny fossil, microfossilized remains, microfossil specimen