calcify

[ kal-suh-fahy ]

verb (used with or without object)

, cal·ci·fied, cal·ci·fy·ing.

1. Physiology. to make or become calcareous or bony; harden by the deposit of calcium salts.
2. Geology. to harden by deposition of calcium carbonate.
3. to make or become rigid or intransigent, as in a political position.

calcify

/ ˈkælsɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to convert or be converted into lime
2. to harden or become hardened by impregnation with calcium salts

Other Words From

• non·calci·fied adjective
• un·calci·fied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of calcify¹

First recorded in 1830–40; calci- + -fy

Example Sentences

Less clear is whether even Thursday’s striking verdict will shake the calcified public opinion of Mr. Trump, who for nearly a decade has defied predictions of his political demise.

From New York Times

McKellar: The show is also about how ideologies sort of calcify and end up alienating people, even though they have noble aspirations at the beginning.

From Los Angeles Times

He saw concerts as “the frantic pursuit of a succession of daily events, momentary, ephemeral,” forcing performers to “calcify” their interpretations so they could be repeated over and over.

From Los Angeles Times

The soundwave emitters are placed inside angioplasty catheters to reach the calcified areas of the artery.

From Seattle Times

Balancing them is Tseng’s ranging tumble between sharp agony, quiet rage, and calcified disillusionment, all of it encapsulated in a physically understated portrayal that quietly builds to a small twitch that changes everything.

From Salon