fossil words

A form of fossil word — A word that is broadly obsolete but remains in current use because it is contained within an idiom that is still in use.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of fossil word
Cite this entry
APA

fossil words. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fossil%20words

MLA

“fossil words.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fossil%20words. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fossil words,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fossil%20words.

Source: fossil words on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.