English → Latin
“petrify” in Latin
convertōto turn upside-down; to invert; to turn over (soil etc); to turn back or recoilmūtōto move, remove; to alter, change, modify, transform; to vary, diversifylapidēscōto petrify, to become stonevertōto turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve; to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow,
The English word petrify itself goes back to Latin petra, through petrificāre.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
petrify
PROP., TRANS., in lapidem vertere (Ov.), convertere, mutare: INTRANS., lapidescere (Plin.); verti, mutari, abire in lapidem, in saxum; in lapidem concrescere (of a liquid): petrified wood, *lignum fossile; oryctodendron (technical term; the ancients use fossilis only for “that which may be dug”).
Figuratively, defigere animum alicujus (Liv.). Especially the participle, petrified, lapideus (Plaut.); attonitus, stupidus (Cic.); defixus (Liv., ; defixum stare, 8, 7): to be petrified, attonitum, saxi instar stare: to become petrified, obtorpescere (e.g., circumfuso undique pavore).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for petrify?
- The usual Latin words for “petrify” are convertō, mūtō, lapidēscō; also vertō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.