n. [ See Petrify. ] 1. The process of petrifying, or changing into stone; conversion of any organic matter (animal or vegetable) into stone, or a substance of stony hardness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state or condition of being petrified. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is petrified; popularly, a body incrusted with stony matter; an incrustation. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fig.: Hardness; callousness; obduracy. “Petrifaction of the soul.” Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the quality of converting organic matter into stone; petrifying. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to, or characterized by, petrifaction. [ 1913 Webster ]

The . . . petrifactive mutations of hard bodies. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. pétrifique. ] Petrifying; petrifactive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Death with his mace petrific, cold and dry. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To petrify. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Our hearts petrificated were. J. Hall (1646). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. pétrification. See Petrify. ] 1. See Petrifaction. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Obduracy; callousness. Hallywell. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. Converted into stone. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. Converted into a mineral; as, petrified wood.
Syn. -- mineralized. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. Same as terrified; as, petrified by the sight of the approaching bear.
Syn. -- panicky, panic-stricken, panic-struck, terrified, frightened. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. rendered unable to act due to intense fear. petrified with fear
Syn. -- frozen. [ PJC ]

5. Rendered lifeless or inactive; as, an imagination petrified by habitual television viewing.
Syn. -- frozen; ossified. [ PJC ]

v. i. 1. To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by calcareous deposits. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: To become stony, callous, or obdurate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like Niobe we marble grow,
And petrify with grief. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Petrified p. pr. & vb. n. Petrifying ] [ L. petra rock, Gr. pe`tra (akin to pe`tros a stone) + -fy: cf. F. pétrifier. Cf. Parrot, Petrel, Pier. ] 1. To convert, as any animal or vegetable matter, into stone or stony substance; as, petrified wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

A river that petrifies any sort of wood or leaves. Kirwan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make callous or obdurate; to transform, as by petrifaction; as, to petrify the heart. Young. “Petrifying accuracy.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

And petrify a genius to a dunce. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

A hideous fatalism, which ought, logically, to petrify your volition. G. Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To paralyze, especially with fear; to stupefy; as, she was petrified by the sight of the bear in her tent. [ PJC ]

The poor, petrified journeyman, quite unconscious of what he was doing. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to St. Peter; as, the Petrine Epistles. [ 1913 Webster ]