Definition

1. Noun:
   • An extinct marine arthropod: A trilobite is a fossilized marine animal that lived during the Paleozoic Era, characterized by a hard, segmented exoskeleton divided lengthwise into three distinct lobes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The museum's fossil collection includes a perfectly preserved trilobite.
  • Trilobites are important index fossils for dating Paleozoic rock layers.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Context: In paleontology, "trilobite" is used to refer to any member of the class Trilobita, which includes thousands of described species.
  • The study focused on the eye structure of the Devonian trilobite.

Variants and Related Words

• Trilobitic (adj): Pertaining to or resembling a trilobite.
  • The rock showed trilobitic traces.

Synonyms

• Fossil arthropod: A general term for any extinct arthropod preserved in rock.
• Paleozoic arthropod: An arthropod from the Paleozoic era.

Related Phrases

• Trilobite fossil: The preserved remains or impression of a trilobite.
  • He found a trilobite fossil in the shale.

Noun

1. an extinct arthropod that was abundant in Paleozoic times; had an exoskeleton divided into three parts