petrify: Meaning and Definition of

pet•ri•fy

Pronunciation: (pe'tru-fī"), [key]
— v., -fied, -fy•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to convert into stone or a stony substance.
  2. to benumb or paralyze with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion: I was petrified with fear.
  3. to make rigid or inert; harden; deaden: The tragedy in his life petrified his emotions.
—v.i.
  1. to become petrified.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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