ammonite
1 synonym for ammonite, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A fossil shell of an extinct group of sea animals related to squid and octopuses, usually coiled in a spiral.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
ammonoid
How to use ammonite
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
ammonite fossil
fossilized ammonite
ammonite shell
coiled ammonite
It is a standard science term, common in paleontology and in museum and fossil-collecting contexts.
Etymology
English took the word from French ammonite, which came from the Latin phrase for the horn of Ammon. Pliny the Elder used the phrase because the coiled shells resembled the ram horns linked to the Egyptian god Amun.
Full origin of ammonite →Frequently asked questions
What is an ammonite?
An ammonite is a fossil shell of an extinct group of cephalopods called Ammonoidea. The shells are often coiled in a spiral.
Where does the word ammonite come from?
It came into English from French, which took it from a Latin phrase meaning horn of Ammon. The name refers to coiled ram horns associated with the god Amun.
How do you pronounce ammonite?
It is pronounced AM-uh-nyt, with the stress on the first syllable.
