petrifaction

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
petrify/ˈpetrɪfʌɪ/

▶verb (petrifies, petrifying, petrified)

• 1 (often as adj. petrified) paralyse with fear.

• 2 change (organic matter) into stone by encrusting or replacing its original substance with a mineral deposit.

• 3 deprive or become deprived of vitality.

– derivatives
petrifaction noun,
petrification noun.

– origin ME: from Fr. pétrifier, from med. L. petrificare, from L. petra ‘rock’, from Gk.