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To lignify is to turn into wood; to petrify, to turn into stone; to ossify, to turn into bone. Wood, stone, bone: three substances we use to represent rigidity and inflexibility.
Speaking of rigidity and inflexibility, a very close synonym of today's ossify is c__cify. Could you recall it?
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"OSSIFY"
To ossify is to turn into bone: either literally (to change into bone) or figuratively (to become very rigid and inflexible).
Pronunciation:
OSS if eye
Part of speech:
Verb.
It’s usually intransitive (something ossifies)
but can also be transitive (something ossifies something else) .
Other forms:
ossified, ossifying, ossification
How to use it:
"Ossify" has a negative tone: when things ossify, it's not good. So, we regret that things have ossified, and we let things ossify or allow things to ossify out of negligence.
So, what kind of things ossify? People and minds and thoughts can ossify, behaviors and habits can ossify, beliefs and attitudes and feelings can ossify, methods and systems and relationships can ossify, traditions and hierarchies can ossify, etc.
Something can ossify into or around something else: the behavior ossified into a habit, their opinions ossified into dogma, his charm ossified into creepiness, their conversations ossified around the news, her thoughts ossified around her schoolwork.
It's rare, but because the verb "ossify" can also be transitive, you can say that something ossifies something else: "Dull clichés ossified my writing."
examples:
Her daily routine had ossified around the baby's needs, and she no longer exercised or went out with friends.
As a vocabulary teacher, I promise not to inflict on you that painful and ossified teaching method: "Look it up, record the definition, and write a sentence."
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ossify" means when you can explain it without saying "fall into a rigid pattern" or "become as hard as bone."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "_____ has/have ossified--but maybe _____ could restore flexibility."
Example: "Because these students have been asked to write the same kind of story week after week, their skills have ossified--but maybe some exciting model stories could restore flexibility."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing with lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the next day's issue. Enjoy!
From yesterday:
From Peter Campion's poem "Over Greenland:"
"Rivers of faces
down hallways, merging, as desires mesh
and _______."
Definition: to form a long, narrow crack; or, to form a split (a division) between people or ideas.
Answer: fissure.
Try this today:
From David Shapiro's poem "Gratuitous Oranges:"
"Orange replies: I’m drunk from my last bar-binge
Half-rhymes like hangovers suddenly _______.
But nothing rhymes in English with an orange."
Definition: to strike with force or energy.
review today's word:
1. One opposite of OSSIFY is
A. WITHER
B. SOFTEN
C. DISSOLVE
2. Their sales technique worked well _____ it ossified before finally _____.
A. in 2003, but.. dying
B. online, where .. going viral
C. overseas, although.. turning a profit
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. A
To lignify is to turn into wood; to petrify, to turn into stone; to ossify, to turn into bone. Wood, stone, bone: three substances we use to represent rigidity and inflexibility.
"OSSIFY" To ossify is to turn into bone: either literally (to change into bone) or figuratively (to become very rigid and inflexible). Part of speech:
Her daily routine had ossified around the baby's needs, and she no longer exercised or went out with friends.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "ossify" means when you can explain it without saying "fall into a rigid pattern" or "become as hard as bone."
Fill in the blanks: "_____ has/have ossified--but maybe _____ could restore flexibility."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of OSSIFY is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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