1. Plural of foraminifer; microscopic marine organisms with shells containing small holes or chambers, commonly found in ocean sediments and used in paleontology and geology.
Usage: scientific term; plural form; also called forams (informal)

Examples

• Foraminifers are abundant in deep-sea sediments and provide valuable information about past ocean conditions.
• Paleontologists study foraminifers to understand the climate history of Earth.
• The shells of foraminifers accumulate on the ocean floor over millions of years.
• Foraminifers are single-celled organisms that belong to the phylum Protozoa.
• Oil companies use foraminifers as index fossils to date rock layers and locate petroleum deposits.
• Different species of foraminifers lived during different geological periods.