mineralize

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree English mineral Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English mineralize From mineral + -ize.

1. To convert to a mineral; to petrify.

   “in all these cases , the bones found in caverns are never mineralised, but simply in the state of grave bones more or less decayed or incrusted by stalagmite ; and have no farther connexion with the rocks themselves”

2. To impregnate with minerals.

   “mineralized water”

3. To mineralogize; to collect and study minerals.

   “He was a senior when he asked Barnes if he ever went "mineralizing," referred admiringly to Bowdoin's Professor Cleaveland, and expressed a wish to "give a good knock about the rocks in Maine."”