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petrify definition

pet·rify (pe′trə fī′)

transitive verb petrified -·fied′, petrifying -·fy′·ing

  1. to replace the normal cells of (organic matter) with silica or other mineral deposits; re-form as a stony substance
  2. to make rigid, inflexible, or inert; harden or deaden
  3. to paralyze or make numb, as with fear; stupefy; stun

Etymology: Fr pétrifier < L petra, stone, rock (< Gr) + -ficare, -fy

intransitive verb

to become petrified

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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