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Ossify
To become fixed and rigid in form or mind; to harden physically into bone, or figuratively to become inflexible in attitude or habits.
verb💡
Imagine 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.
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Sounds Like
OS-uh-fy
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Looks Like
oss- (bone) + -ify; visually suggests bone growth
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Remember This
Ossify comes from Latin ossificare meaning to make into bone. It is used both for literal bone formation and for metaphorical rigidity.
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Other Forms
ossifiesverb
ossifiedadjective
ossificationnoun
ossifyingverb
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Connect With
harden, solidify, petrify, calcify, stiffen, rigidify, inflexible
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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.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- 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.
Synonyms
hardenrigidifysolidifycalcifypetrify
Antonyms
softenadaptmodernize
Etymology
From Latin os, oss-, meaning bone, plus the suffix -fic- (making) and -ify to form verbs meaning 'to make into bone.'
Mnemonic
"OSSI" as in osseous (bone) + -fy meaning 'make into' → ossify = make into bone; imagine a mind turning to bone.
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adjectiveNot easily bent, altered, or persuaded; stubbornly unyielding in opinions or behavior.
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verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
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verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
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