ossify

verb

/ˈɒsɪfaɪ/

/ˈɑːsɪfaɪ/

[usually passive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they ossify	/ˈɒsɪfaɪ/ /ˈɑːsɪfaɪ/
he / she / it ossifies	/ˈɒsɪfaɪz/ /ˈɑːsɪfaɪz/
past simple ossified	/ˈɒsɪfaɪd/ /ˈɑːsɪfaɪd/
past participle ossified	/ˈɒsɪfaɪd/ /ˈɑːsɪfaɪd/
-ing form ossifying	/ˈɒsɪfaɪɪŋ/ /ˈɑːsɪfaɪɪŋ/

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[intransitive, transitive, usually passive] ossify (something) (formal, disapproving) to become or make something fixed and unable to change（使）僵化；（使）固定不变
- an ossified political system僵化的政治制度
[intransitive, transitive, usually passive] ossify (something) (specialist) to become or make something hard like bone使骨化；骨质化

Word Originearly 18th cent.: from French ossifier, from Latin os, oss- ‘bone’.

BNC: 48357 COCA: 36004

ossify