ammonite
ammonite Lexical Profile
ammonite Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An extinct marine mollusk of the cephalopod class Ammonoidea, characterized by a flat, typically coiled spiral shell divided into internal chambers, widely found as fossils from the Devonian to the Cretaceous periods.
"The paleontologist carefully extracted a beautifully preserved ammonite from the Jurassic limestone."
A member of an ancient Semitic people who lived east of the Jordan River and frequently clashed with the Israelites in biblical times.
"Historical texts document that King David's forces engaged in a lengthy conflict against the Ammonites."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the extinct fossilized cephalopod, the word is written in lowercase. However, when referring to the ancient Semitic people of the biblical era, it is capitalized as 'Ammonite'.
• Rhymes for ammonite
Word Origin & Etymology
From Medieval Latin 'ammonites', short for 'cornu Ammonis' (horn of Ammon). The fossil shells were named for their resemblance to the tightly coiled ram's horns associated with the Egyptian god Ammon (Amun).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.