ETYM Latin cornu Ammonis born of Ammon; Latin Ammon, an appellation of Jupiter, as represented with the horns of a ram. It was originally the name of an. Egyptian god, Amun.
One of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct mollusks; SYN. ammonoid.
Fossil cephalopod with whorled shell.
Extinct marine cephalopod mollusk of the order Ammonoidea, related to the modern nautilus. The shell was curled in a plane spiral and made up of numerous gas-filled chambers, the outermost containing the body of the animal. Many species flourished between 200 million and 65 million years ago, ranging in size from that of a small coin to 2 m/6 ft across.
Member of an ancient Semitic people, mentioned in the Old Testament or Jewish Bible, who lived NW of the Dead Sea. Their capital was Amman, in present-day Jordan. They worshiped the god Moloch, to whom they offered human sacrifices. They were frequently at war with the Israelites.