Petrification

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌpɛtɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The process by which organic material becomes fossilized by turning into stone ; the condition of being so frightened or shocked that one is unable to move
2. A geological or biological change that causes tissues to harden into stone-like structures ; a mental or physical state where fear or surprise causes immobilization
3. The transformation of living matter into a stony substance through mineral replacement ; the experience of being frozen in place due to intense fear or astonishment

Etymology: Petrification is built from the Greek-derived "petra" (stone), which reached English through French, and the Latin suffix "-ation," which turns a verb into a noun of process. The French "pétrifier" was formed from the same Greek root, so the English word sits on top of a French verb that was itself a coinage from classical material. The original sense is literal: petrification names the physical transformation of a plant or animal into stone, a process that fossils record. The figurative sense, being so stunned with fear or shock that one cannot move, grows directly from that image of the body turning hard and immobile, as though it had become rock. The verb "petrify" is the older form in English, and "petrification" follows the pattern of many nouns in "-ation" borrowed from French during the early modern period. Its two meanings therefore share one picture, the transformation into stone, with the geological sense the earlier and literal one.

Synonyms: calcification, mineralization