Petrifier

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual or object that causes organic material to turn to stone through mineralization
2. One who or that which converts substances into a stony form by replacing organic matter with minerals
3. A source or agent responsible for transforming living tissue into a fossil-like, hardened state

Etymology: "Petrifier" is a plain formation: the verb "petrify" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names a person or thing that turns something into stone. The verb itself comes from the Latin "petra," meaning rock, combined with the suffix "-fy," meaning to make or become. Petrify therefore means to make rock-like, and a petrifier is whatever does that work. The sense in this entry, a substance that replaces the organic matter of a plant or animal with minerals, is the literal, geological meaning of "petrify," which English has used for objects such as wood that has turned to stone. The figurative sense of being frozen with fear came from the same root, so the noun can describe either a mineral-laden process or a source of terror, though this entry concerns the first.

Synonyms: stabilizer, solidifier, transformer, converter, hardener