FOSSA (fossae)

• FOSSA (noun)
  The noun FOSSA has 3 senses:

1. a concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical depression)
2. monotypic genus of Madagascar civets closely related to palm civets
3. largest carnivore of Madagascar; intermediate in some respects between cats and civets

  Familiarity information: FOSSA used as a noun is uncommon.

• FOSSA (noun)

Meaning:

A concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical depression)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

fossa; pit

Hypernyms ("fossa" is a kind of...):

bodily cavity; cavity; cavum ((anatomy) a natural hollow or sinus within the body)

concave shape; concavity; incurvation; incurvature (a shape that curves or bends inward)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fossa"):

glenoid cavity; glenoid fossa (the concavity in the head of the scapula that receives the head of the humerus to form the shoulder joint)

glenoid fossa; mandibular fossa (a deep concavity in the temporal bone at the root of the zygomatic arch that receives the condyle of the mandible)

epigastric fossa; pit of the stomach (a slight depression in the midline just below the sternum (where a blow can affect the solar plexus))

Meaning:

Monotypic genus of Madagascar civets closely related to palm civets

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

genus Fossa; Fossa

Hypernyms ("Fossa" is a kind of...):

mammal genus (a genus of mammals)

Meronyms (members of "Fossa"):

fanaloka; Fossa fossa (civet of Madagascar)

Holonyms ("Fossa" is a member of...):

family Viverridae; family Viverrinae; Viverridae; Viverrinae (genets; civets; mongooses)

Meaning:

Largest carnivore of Madagascar; intermediate in some respects between cats and civets

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Cryptoprocta ferox; fossa cat; fossa

Hypernyms ("fossa" is a kind of...):

viverrine; viverrine mammal (small catlike predatory mammals of warmer parts of the Old World)