Coprolite is a noun meaning fossilised
animal faeces. The word
literally means “dung stone” and comes from the
Greek kopros (dung) and lithikos (stone). Usually coprolites are animal manure and, between 1860 and 1890, were mined commercially in Cambridgeshire England and processed to be used as a fertiliser. When you think of it, it’s not that much of a surprise, after all it is fossilised shit. What is also not too surprising is that the word has also come to describe a person who is old, set in their ways and a thoroughly disagreeable arsehole as
well. So if you have a boss, teacher or acquaintance who fits that description, congratulations, you know a coprolite.