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petition
petits pois
petnapping
Petra
Petrarchan sonnet
petrel
petri-
Petri dish
petrifaction
Petrified Forest National Park
petrify
Petrine
petro-
petrochemical
petrochemistry
petrodollar
petrogenesis
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petrifaction

pet·ri·fac·tion [ pèttrə fáksh'n ] or pet·ri·fi·ca·tion [ pèttrəfi káysh'n ]


noun 
Definition:
 
1. conversion of substance to stone: the process in which the porous structure of organic material such as bone, shell, and wood is infiltrated by salt-bearing ground water, which preserves the structure when it solidifies. The Petrified Forest in Arizona contains whole tree trunks that have been turned into stone.

2. condition of being petrified: the condition of being turned into stone

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