Etymology

petrific

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Today it means: Petrifying, turning into stone; petrifactive. Full definition →

First used 17th c.Latin petrificus
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The story

  1. Latin · derived frompetrificus
  2. English todaypetrific

From post-classical Latin petrificus (13th c.), from petra (“rock, stone”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. Petrifying, turning into stone; petrifactive.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.