Petrify is to change organic matter into something stone like, or to cause extreme fear.
(verb)See petrify in Webster's New World College Dictionary
transitive verb petrified, petrifying
Origin: Fr pétrifier < L petra, stone, rock (< Gr) + -ficare, -fy
intransitive verb
Related Forms:
See petrify in American Heritage Dictionary 4
verb pet·ri·fied, pet·ri·fy·ing, pet·ri·fies verb, transitive
Origin:
Origin: Middle English petrifien, to harden
Origin: , from Old French petrifier
Origin: : Latin petra, rock (from Greek petrā; see per-2 in Indo-European roots)
Origin: + Old French -fier, -fy
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