ossify means to transform (or cause to transform) from a softer animal substance into bone; particularly the processes of growth in humans and animals. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
ossify is pronounced /ˈɒs.ɪ.faɪ/.
Why “ossify” is a great word
OSSIFY — [Verb] To change into bone or bony tissue, or to become rigidly fixed in attitude, habit, or opinion. From Latin os, ossis ("bone") + the English verbal suffix -ify ("to make"), modeled on French ossifier; first attested in English 1705–15. Unlike "calcify," which specifies a hardening by mineral deposit, or "solidify," which denotes a general transition to solidity, "ossify" carries the irrevocable weight of a living process becoming a permanent, structural relic. It is the slow metamorphosis of cartilage into a skeletal scaffold, the transformation of a lively debate into unchanging dogma, or the way a pliant mind settles into the fossil of its own convictions—the final, quiet triumph of stillness over all that once was soft and could be moved.
verb
- To transform (or cause to transform) from a softer animal substance into bone; particularly the processes of growth in humans and animals.“[…], nor do all bones of the same skeleton ossify during the samе period of time.”
- To become (or cause to become) inflexible and rigid in habits or opinions.“Before long, the entire organization ossifies.”
- To grow (or cause to grow) formulaic and permanent.“This accidental repartition gets repeated, develops advantages of its own, and gradually ossifies into a systematic division of labour.”
- To calcify.“The cartilages become brittle, and in many instances are ossified; the ligaments are rendered harder, but are less capable of resisting extension.”