fossilization

/ˌfɑsələˈzeɪʃən/

Fossilization is the process of an animal or plant becoming preserved in a hard, petrified form. Fossilization often results in the impression of an organism being left in a rock.

When a leaf or an animal skeleton becomes a fossil, that's fossilization. Fossils are the preserved remains of a prehistoric creature — fossilization takes a very long time, so if you see a fossil, you know it's at least 10,000 years old. Originally, fossil was defined as "anything that's dug up," from the Latin fossilis, "dug up." By the 18th century, both fossil and fossilization specifically referred to "the geological remains of a plant or animal."

Definitions of fossilization

1. noun

   the process of fossilizing a plant or animal that existed in some earlier age; the process of being turned to stone
   synonyms: fossilisation

   types:

   petrifaction, petrification

   the process of turning some plant material into stone by infiltration with water carrying mineral particles without changing the original shape

   type of:

   action, activity, natural action, natural process

   a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)
2. noun

   becoming inflexible or out of date
   synonyms: fossilisation

   type of:

   passage, transition

   the act of passing from one state or place to the next