ossify

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2024 is: ossify \AH-suh-fye\ verb In general contexts, something that ossifies becomes hardened or conventional and opposed to change. In medical contexts, something that ossifies (such as cartilage) forms or is transformed into bone. // I asked if she'd reconsider her position, but her opinions on the matter have clearly ossified. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ossify) Examples: "... we all probably need to be better about dealing with the gradual buildup of small annoyances in our lives before they ossify." — Paula Meja, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024 Did you know? The skeletons of mammals originate as soft cartilage that gradually transforms into hard bone; in humans, the process begins in the womb and continues until late adolescence. This bone-building process was given the name [ossification](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ossification) in the late 17th century, with the verb ossify following soon after. The words come from the Latin root os, meaning "bone." ([Os](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/os) is also a synonym of [bone](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone) in scientific contexts.) Both terms have come to refer to figurative types of hardening, such as that of the heart or mind.