ossification

[ os-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of ossifying.
2. the state of being ossified. ossify.
3. something that has ossified; ossify; a bony formation.

ossification

/ ŏs′ə-fĭ-kā′shən /

1. The process of bone formation, brought about by the action of specialized bone cells called osteoclasts , which absorb old bone tissue, and osteoblasts , which form from osteoclasts and produce new bone tissue. This remodeling of bone is a constant process that maintains bone strength.
2. See more at osteoblast

Word History and Origins

Origin of ossification¹

1690–1700; < Latin ossi-, combining form of os bone + -fication

Example Sentences

But, Bret Stephens wrote in a New York Times opinion essay in 2017, the real crux of Mr. Zimmer’s case for free speech, offensive or not, was that it was “our salvation from intellectual mediocrity and social ossification.”

From New York Times

Even a short history of cigarette use during the prime period for bone growth and ossification—adolescence and early adulthood—was correlated with a significant increase in the risk of osteoporotic fractures during late adulthood.

From Scientific American

The ossification of the bone fragments also indicates that pressure was occasionally applied to the stump as the young hunter-gatherer probably rested on it after the limb was removed, he added.

From Washington Post

If they could all sue “to protect their fiefdoms from regulatory change,” in Hoover’s words, they would guarantee “ossification” of the entire government.

From Slate

The ossification of Biden’s legislative agenda underscores the long-term structural challenges facing the party’s left-flank, highlighting how difficult it will be to enact liberal policy change even with Democratic control of Congress.

From Washington Post