Added 9 October 2026
fossa
/ˈfɒsə/ noun
Latin root: fossa Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about fossa at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A pit, groove, cavity, or depression.
- A long, narrow, shallow depression on the body of an extraterrestrial body, such as a planet or moon.
noun
- A large nocturnal reddish-brown catlike mammal (Cryptoprocta ferox) of the civet family, endemic to the rainforests of Madagascar. It is slender, long-tailed and has retractile claws and anal scent glands.
Origin
Unadapted borrowing from Latin fossa (“a ditch, trench, fosse”). Doublet of fosse.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)