petrifaction

[ pe-truh-fak-shuhn ]

/ ˌpɛ trəˈfæk ʃən /

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See synonyms for petrifaction on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or process of petrifying; the state of being petrified.

something petrified.

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Also pet·ri·fi·ca·tion

[pe-truh-fi-key-shuhn]. /ˌpɛ trə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən/.

Origin of petrifaction

1640–50; petri- + -faction<Latin factiōn- (stem of factiō) a making. See petrify, faction¹

OTHER WORDS FROM petrifaction

pet·ri·fac·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use petrifaction in a sentence

While wandering through the valley of the Clearwater and the adjacent hills, I was much struck with the wonders of petrification.
Memoirs of Orange Jacobs|Orange Jacobs
One day the Major met a company of miners, and related to them the wonderful specimens of petrification seen by him that day.
Memoirs of Orange Jacobs|Orange Jacobs
When she departed, as she did in a state bordering on petrification, he came forward to the bedside.
Theo|Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett
He would be freed, for ever, from the petrification of the grey, cramping little city.
The Rough Road|William John Locke

This is a startling fact for natural philosophers, and must cause them to modify the existing theory of petrification.
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe

British Dictionary definitions for petrifaction

petrifaction

petrification (ˌpɛtrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən)

/ (ˌpɛtrɪˈfækʃən) /

noun

the act or process of forming petrified organic material

the state of being petrified

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

Scientific definitions for petrifaction

petrifaction

[ pĕt′rə-făk′shən ]

The process by which organic materials are turned into rock. Petrifaction occurs when water that is rich with inorganic minerals, such as calcium carbonate or silica, passes slowly through organic matter, such as wood or bone, replacing its cellular structure with minerals.

petrifaction

Origin of petrifaction

OTHER WORDS FROM petrifaction

Words related to petrifaction

How to use petrifaction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for petrifaction

petrification (ˌpɛtrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən)

Scientific definitions for petrifaction