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ossification

American  
[os-uh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌɒs ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of ossifying.

  2. the state of being ossified.

  3. something that has ossified; a bony formation.


ossification British  
/ ˌɒsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

  1. the formation of or conversion into bone

  2. the process of ossifying or the state of being ossified

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ossification Scientific  
/ ŏs′ə-fĭ-kāshən /
  1. The process of bone formation, brought about by the action of specialized bone cells called osteoclasts, which absorb old bone tissue, and osteoblasts, which form from osteoclasts and produce new bone tissue. This remodeling of bone is a constant process that maintains bone strength.

  2. See more at osteoblast osteoclast


Etymology

Origin of ossification

1690–1700; < Latin ossi-, combining form of os bone + -fication

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The ossification of the bone fragments also indicates that pressure was occasionally applied to the stump as the young hunter-gatherer probably rested on it after the limb was removed, he added.

From Washington Post • Sep. 7, 2022

They then differentiate into osteoblasts at the ossification center.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Intramembranous ossification is the process of bone development from fibrous membranes.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

These cells then differentiate directly into bone producing cells, which form the skull bones through the process of intramembranous ossification.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

In a similar way the bones of the skull become thickened, especially at the edges of the fontanels, that is, the openings in the child's head before complete ossification of the skull has taken place.

From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by ?Malley, Austin