Calcified

/ˈkælsɪfaɪd/ adjective

Definition

Having undergone calcification; turned into or containing calcium deposits that have made something hard and stone-like.

Etymology

Past participle of 'calcify,' combining Latin 'calcis' (lime) with the suffix '-fied' (made or caused to be). The term entered English medical vocabulary in the 1700s.

Kelly Says

Calcified dinosaur fossils preserve not just bone shape but sometimes microscopic calcium patterns that scientists can read like history books to understand how ancient creatures lived and moved.

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