petrification
noun
- conversion of biological material into rock
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌpɛtɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
noun
Etymology: From French pétrification, from Middle French pétrifier + -ation.
- Turning to stone: the process of replacement of the organic residues of plants (and animals) with insoluble salts, with the original shape and topography being retained.
- obduracy; callousness.
“a Petrification or Mortification of the Mind”
- Sheer terror; great fright.