For a computerized cataloguing database to be useful to several institutions, standardization of terminology is necessary. The Department of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Royal Ontario Museum, has devised a system of terminology for fossil bones. In describing each fossil, one or more of nine primary descriptors are used followed by a string of modifiers. These terms indicate the position within the skeleton, age, the completeness of the bone, whether the bone is pathological or a reproduction, and the quantity of bones present. The system can be modified to meet specific needs and preferences without disrupting its overall usefulness.