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petrify

verb [I] (CHANGE TO STONE)
 
 
/ˈpet.rə.faɪ/

Definition

If dead things petrify, they change to a substance like stone over a long period of time.Palaeontology and fossils petrifaction
 
 
/ˌpet.rɪˈfæk.ʃən/ noun [U] (also petrification) specialized
(Definition of petrify verb (CHANGE TO STONE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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