Ossified
[OS-ih-fied]
Part of speech: verb
Origin: Latin, early 18th century
1.
Having turned into bone or bony tissue.
2.
Having become rigid or fixed in attitude or position.
Examples of Ossified in a sentence
"Bone is formed from cartilage that has ossified."
"Over time she became ossified and rejected any attempts to change her habits."
About Ossified
Ossified came into English in the late 17th century from the French "ossifier," from the Latin prefix "oss-" and word "os," which mean "bone."
Did you Know?
The prefix "oss-" is Latin for "bone," and it makes up the root of many bony terms. "Ossify" is a verb meaning "turn into bone or bony tissue," but it also has a figurative usage meaning "become rigid or fixed in attitude or position; cease developing." "Ossified" can be a conjugation of the verb, but it can also be an adjective, describing things that have either turned into bone or become fixed and rigid. "Ossification" is a noun describing the process of converting into bone, and "osseous" is an adjective for anything made of or resembling bone.
