Dictionary

ossify en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈɑ.sə.faɪ/ (US)
• /ˈɒs.ɪ.faɪ/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Back-formation from ossification, or modeled on French ossifier and formed from Latin os, ossis (“bone”) + -ify.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To transform (or cause to transform) from a softer animal substance into bone; particularly the processes of growth in humans and animals.
   • […], nor do all bones of the same skeleton ossify during the samе period of time. 1884, Arthur C. Cole, Studies in Microscopical Science, page 35:
2. (ambitransitive, animate) To become (or cause to become) inflexible and rigid in habits or opinions.
   • Possession of absolute knowledge would ossify the human spirit, quenching human creativity; 2006, Michael S. Jones, Metaphysics of Religion: Lucian Blaga and Contemporary Philosophy, →ISBN, page 79:
   • Before long, the entire organization ossifies. 1996, Peter Schwartz, The Art of the Long View, →ISBN, page 96:
3. (ambitransitive, inanimate) To grow (or cause to grow) formulaic and permanent.
   • Now, in turn, we apply a revolutionary critique that […] ossifies into a rhetoric to become "the monstrous Latin of a monstrous church." 2001, Kevin O'Neill, David Suchoff, The Wisdom of Love, translation of original by Alain Finkielkraut, →ISBN, page 55:
   • This accidental repartition gets repeated, develops advantages of its own, and gradually ossifies into a systematic division of labour. 1886, Samuel Moore, “Chapter 14”, in Capital, volume I, translation of original by Karl Marx:
   • [T]he charge threatens to ossify into conventional wisdom before the movie's audience can get to theaters to see how misguided it is. 2005 December 20, Michelle Goldberg, “The war on 'Munich'”, in Salon.com, archived from the original on 06 Mar 2008:
4. (rare) To calcify.
   • The cartilages become brittle, and in many instances are ossified; the ligaments are rendered harder, but are less capable of resisting extension. 1850, Roxey Ann Caplin, “Chapter X”, in Health and Beauty:

Forms

Antonyms

deossify

Coordinates

chondrify

Deriveds

nonossifying · coossify · reossify

Relateds

calcify · ossifier · ossification

Synonyms

harden

Translations (32)

uk закріплятися (to grow formulaic and permanent) · uk перетворюватися на кістку (to transform into bone) · fi luutua (to transform into bone) · es osificar (to transform into bone) · bg вкостенявам се (to transform into bone) · fr ossifier (to transform into bone) · nl verbenen (to transform into bone) · ru превраща́ться в кость (to transform into bone) · it ossificare (to transform into bone) · uk костеніти (to transform into bone) · eo ostiĝi (to transform into bone) · gl osificar (to transform into bone) · tr kemikleşmek (to transform into bone) · fi luuduttaa (to transform into bone) · fi vakiinnuttaa (to grow formulaic and permanent) · uk черствіти (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · pt ossificar (to transform into bone) · pl kostnieć (to transform into bone) · uk перетворювати на кістку (to transform into bone) · ru ожесточать (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · ru черстветь (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · fi vakiintua (to grow formulaic and permanent) · ca ossificar (to transform into bone) · ru костенеть (to transform into bone) · fi luutua (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · ro osifica (to transform into bone) · ru превраща́ть в кость (to transform into bone) · uk ставати консервативним (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · ru де́лать бесчувственным (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · fi luuduttaa (to become inflexible in habits or opinions) · cmn 骨化 (to transform into bone) · ru грубеть (to become inflexible in habits or opinions)