Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "petrifaction" []

  • A process of fossilization in which dissolved minerals replace organic matter. (noun)
  • The state of being stunned or paralyzed with fear. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "petrifaction" in a sentence
  • "The same kind of petrifaction is to be seen, it is said, at the hot springs of"
  • "Akin to the foregoing condition is what is known as petrifaction or ossification of portions of the living human body other than the articulations."
  • ""A petrifaction was a kind of a hard-wood chemical git-up.""