Ossify
To become fixed and rigid in form or mind; to harden physically into bone, or figuratively to become inflexible in attitude or habits.
verbOssify
To become fixed and rigid in form or mind; to harden physically into bone, or figuratively to become inflexible in attitude or habits.
verbImagine This
Picture a flexible mind at first, like clay. With each argument, the clay dries a little, until it becomes a stiff, bone-hard sculpture that resists any change.
Sounds Like
OS-uh-fy
Looks Like
oss- (bone) + -ify; visually suggests bone growth
Remember This
Ossify comes from Latin ossificare meaning to make into bone. It is used both for literal bone formation and for metaphorical rigidity.
Other Forms
Connect With
harden, solidify, petrify, calcify, stiffen, rigidify, inflexible
Note
Be mindful that ossify has two senses: literal bone formation and figurative rigidity. Do not confuse with words that mean to crystallize or to solidify in a non-figurative sense.
Study Deeper
- The cartilage in the embryo ossifies to become bone as development progresses.
- Over the years, the company's flexible policies ossified into a rigid set of rules.
From Latin os, oss-, meaning bone, plus the suffix -fic- (making) and -ify to form verbs meaning 'to make into bone.'
"OSSI" as in osseous (bone) + -fy meaning 'make into' → ossify = make into bone; imagine a mind turning to bone.
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