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pet·ri·fy (pĕtrə-fī)
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tr.v. pet·ri·fied, pet·ri·fy·ing, pet·ri·fies
1. To convert (wood or other organic matter) into a stony replica by petrifaction.
2. To cause to lose vitality or become impervious to change; deaden: a routine that petrified her thinking.
3. To stun or paralyze with terror; daze.

[Middle English petrifien, to harden, from Old French petrifier : Latin petra, rock (from Greek petrā; see per-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + Old French -fier, -fy.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.