An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A relic, remnant, or representation of an organism that existed in a past geological age.

From Fr. fossile, from L. fossilis "dug up," from fossus, p.p. of fodere "to dig."

Sangâré literally "resembling stone," from sang, → stone, + -vâré, from -vâr, → -oid.

In a physical system, the → magnetic field belonging to an earlier magnetic process or event. A fossil magnetic field may be a vanished one or exist in relic forms. As an example, the solar magnetic field, which was present during the formation of the Sun, has disappeared over the last 4.6 billions years.

→ fossil;→ magnetic; → field;