petrification /ˌpɛtɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun3 •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. •(figurative) Sheer terror; great fright. •(figurative) obduracy; callousness. formspetrifications