Back-formation fromossification, or modeled onFrenchossifier and formed fromLatinos,ossis(“bone”) +-ify.[1]
ossify (third-person singular simple presentossifies,present participleossifying,simple past and past participleossified)
- (ambitransitive) Totransform (or cause to transform) from asofteranimalsubstance intobone; particularly the processes ofgrowth inhumans andanimals.
- Antonym:deossify
- Coordinate term:chondrify
1884, Arthur C. Cole,Studies in Microscopical Science[1], page35:[…], nor do all bones of the same skeletonossify during the samе period of time.
- (ambitransitive, animate) To become (or cause to become)inflexible andrigid inhabits oropinions.
- Synonym:harden
1996,Peter Schwartz,The Art of the Long View,→ISBN, page96:Before long, the entire organizationossifies.
2006, Michael S. Jones,Metaphysics of Religion: Lucian Blaga and Contemporary Philosophy,→ISBN, page79:Possession of absolute knowledge wouldossify the human spirit, quenching human creativity;
- (ambitransitive, inanimate) To grow (or cause to grow)formulaic andpermanent.
1886, Samuel Moore, “Chapter 14”, inCapital, volume I, translation of original byKarl Marx:This accidental repartition gets repeated, develops advantages of its own, and graduallyossifies into a systematic division of labour.
2001, Kevin O'Neill, David Suchoff,The Wisdom of Love, translation of original byAlain Finkielkraut,→ISBN, page55:Now, in turn, we apply a revolutionary critique that[…]ossifies into a rhetoric to become "the monstrous Latin of a monstrous church."
2005 December 20, Michelle Goldberg, “The war on 'Munich'”, inSalon.com[2], archived fromthe original on6 March 2008:[T]he charge threatens toossify into conventional wisdom before the movie's audience can get to theaters to see how misguided it is.
- (rare) Tocalcify.
1850,Roxey Ann Caplin, “Chapter X”, inHealth and Beauty:The cartilages become brittle, and in many instances areossified; the ligaments are rendered harder, but are less capable of resisting extension.
to become inflexible in habits or opinions
to grow formulaic and permanent
