In the universal decay this volatile substance had chanced to survive, perhaps through many thousands of centuries. It reminded me of a sepia painting I had once seen done from the ink of a fossil Belemnite that must have perished and become fossilized millions of years ago.
Wikipedia foundation.
bélemnite — [ belɛmnit ] n. f. • 1751; gr. belemnitês « pierre en forme de flèche » ♦ Paléont. Céphalopode marin fossile, proche de la seiche, dont on trouve la coquille, de forme allongée, dans les terrains de l ère secondaire. ● bélemnite nom féminin… … Encyclopédie Universelle
bélemnite — BÉLEMNITE. sub. fém. (Pronon. Bélèmnite.) Espèce de fossile … Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798
Belemnite — Be*lem nite, n. [Gr. ? dart, fr. ? dart, fr. ? to throw: cf. F. b[ e]lemnite.] (Paleon.) A conical calcareous fossil, tapering to a point at the lower extremity, with a conical cavity at the other end, where it is ordinarily broken; but when… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
belemnite — [bel′əm nīt΄] n. [< Gr belemnon, a dart, arrow, prob. akin to ballein, to throw (see BALL2) + ITE1] the cigar shaped fossilized internal shell of extinct cephalopods (order Belemnoidea) of the Mesozoic Era … English World dictionary
BÉLEMNITE — s. f. (On prononce Bélèmnite. ) T. d Hist. nat. Il se dit de Certaines coquilles fossiles, de forme allongée, dont on ne connaît pas les analogues vivants. Il y a beaucoup d espèces de bélemnites … Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)
belemnite — /bel euhm nuyt /, n. Paleontol. a conical fossil, several inches long, consisting of the internal calcareous rod of an extinct animal allied to the cuttlefish; a thunderstone. [1640 50; < F bélemnite, equiv. to Gk bélemn(on) a dart (n. deriv.… … Universalium
belemnite — be·lem·nì·te s.m. TS paleont. mollusco fossile con conchiglia concamerata interna, appartenente al genere Belemnite | con iniz. maiusc., genere della famiglia dei Belemnitidi, distribuito dal Trias inferiore all Eocenico {{line}} {{/line}}… … Dizionario italiano
belemnite — bel•em•nite [[t]ˈbɛl əmˌnaɪt[/t]] n. pal any cylindrical or conical fossil that represents the internal shell of a group of extinct cephalopods allied to the cuttlefish • Etymology: 1640–50; < F bélemnite < Gk bélemn(on) a dart, der. of… … From formal English to slang
belemnite — noun Etymology: New Latin belemnites, from Greek belemnon dart; akin to Greek ballein to throw more at devil Date: 1646 any of various extinct cephalopods (order Belemnoidea) that had large often bullet shaped internal shells and were especially… … New Collegiate Dictionary
BÉLEMNITE — n. f. T. d’Histoire naturelle Coquille fossile, de forme allongée, dont on ne connaît pas les analogues vivants. Il y a beaucoup d’espèces de bélemnites … Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 8eme edition (1935)
