petrify

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• Petrify — Pet ri*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Petrified}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Petrifying}.] [L. petra rock, Gr. ? (akin to ? a stone) + fy: cf. F. p[ e]trifier. Cf. {Parrot}, {Petrel}, {Pier}.] 1. To convert, as any animal or vegetable matter, into stone or stony …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Petrify — Pet ri*fy, v. i. 1. To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by calcareous deposits. [1913 Webster] 2. Fig.: To become stony, callous, or obdurate. [1913 Webster] Like Niobe we marble grow, And petrify with grief. Dryden. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• petrify — [v1] make hard calcify, clarify, fossilize, harden, lapidify, mineralize, set, solidify, turn to stone; concept 250 Ant. melt, soften petrify [v2] frighten alarm, amaze, appall, astonish, astound, benumb, chill, confound, daze, dismay, dumbfound …   New thesaurus

• petrify — index browbeat, frighten, intimidate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

• petrify — 1590s, from M.Fr. pétrifier to make or become stone, from L. petra rock + ficare, from facere to make, do (see FACTITIOUS (Cf. factitious)). Metaphoric sense of paralyze with fear or shock first recorded 1771 …   Etymology dictionary

• petrify — 1 *harden, solidify, indurate, cake Analogous words: deposit, precipitate (see corresponding nouns at DEPOSIT): *compact, consolidate 2 *daze, stun, bemuse, stupefy, benumb, paralyze Analogous words: terrify, alarm, *frighten, startle: appall,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

• petrify — ► VERB (petrifies, petrified) 1) change (organic matter) into stone by encrusting or replacing its original substance with a mineral deposit. 2) paralyse with fear. 3) deprive of vitality. DERIVATIVES petrifaction noun petrification noun …   English terms dictionary

• petrify — [pe′trə fī΄] vt. petrified, petrifying [Fr pétrifier < L petra, stone, rock (< Gr) + ficare, FY] 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,… …   English World dictionary

• petrify — verb ( fied; fying) Etymology: Middle French petrifier, from petr + ifier ify Date: 1594 transitive verb 1. to convert (organic matter) into stone or a substance of stony hardness by the infiltration of water and the deposition of dissolved… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

• petrify — UK [ˈpetrɪfaɪ] / US [ˈpetrɪˌfaɪ] verb Word forms petrify : present tense I/you/we/they petrify he/she/it petrifies present participle petrifying past tense petrified past participle petrified 1) [transitive] to frighten someone so much that they… …   English dictionary

• petrify — [[t]pe̱trɪfaɪ[/t]] petrifies, petrifying, petrified 1) VERB If something petrifies you, it makes you feel very frightened. [V n] Prison petrifies me and I don t want to go there. Syn: terrify Derived words: petrifying ADJ …   English dictionary