In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
OSSIFY
ossify
(verb) become bony; “The tissue ossified”
ossify
(verb) cause to become hard and bony; “The disease ossified the tissue”
rigidify, ossify, petrify
(verb) make rigid and set into a conventional pattern; “rigidify the training schedule”; “ossified teaching methods”; “slogans petrify our thinking”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
ossify (third-person singular simple present ossifies, present participle ossifying, simple past and past participle ossified)
(ambitransitive) To transform (or cause to transform) from a softer animal substance into bone; particularly the processes of growth in humans and animals.
(ambitransitive, animate) To become (or cause to become) inflexible and rigid in habits or opinions.
(ambitransitive, inanimate) To grow (or cause to grow) formulaic and permanent.
(rare) To calcify.
Synonyms
• (become inflexible and rigid): harden
Anagrams
• Foisys
Source: Wiktionary
Os"si*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ossified; p. pr. & vb. n. Ossifying.] Etym: [L. os, ossis, bone + -fy: cf. F. ossifier. See Osseous.]
1. (Physiol.)
Definition: To form into bone; to change from a soft animal substance into bone, as by the deposition of lime salts.
2. Fig.: To harden; as, to ossify the heart. Ruskin.
Os"si*fy, v. i. (Physiol.)
Definition: To become bone; to change from a soft tissue to a hard bony tissue.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
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18 April 2025
GROIN
(noun) the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals
Coffee Trivia
