1. The process of converting organic material into stone or a stone-like substance through mineral replacement or infiltration over geological time.
Usage: Plural form of petrification; Commonly used in geology and paleontology
2. Objects or remains that have been converted to stone, such as petrified wood or fossilized organisms.
Usage: Plural form; refers to multiple petrified specimens
3. A state of being paralyzed or frozen with fear or shock.
Usage: Figurative use; less common in modern usage

Examples

• The museum displayed several petrifications of ancient trees from the Mesozoic era.
• Petrifications occur when minerals slowly replace the original organic material.
• Scientists studied the petrifications found in the volcanic ash layer to understand the ecosystem.
• The petrifications in this rock formation are approximately 200 million years old.
• Visitors marveled at the detailed petrifications of shells and ammonites.
• The geologist explained how water containing minerals creates petrifications over millennia.