fossilize

verb

1. become mentally inflexible

Synonym: fossilise

2. convert to a fossil

e.g. The little animals fossilized and are now embedded in the limestone

Synonym: fossilise

1. (使)成为化石;石化
If the remains of an animal or plant fossilize or are fossilized, they become hard and form fossils, instead of decaying completely.

e.g. The most important parts, the flowers, rarely fossilise...
最重要的部分，即花朵，很少成为化石。
e.g. The survival of the proteins depends on the way in which bones are fossilised.
蛋白质是否存留取决于骨头被石化的方式。

2. (使)僵化;(使)陈旧
If you say that ideas, attitudes, or ways of behaving have fossilized or have been fossilized, you are criticizing the fact that they are fixed and unlikely to change, in spite of changing situations or circumstances.

e.g. What they seem to want to do in fact is fossilize the particular environment in which people live and work...
他们似乎想要做的实际上就是让人们生活和工作的环境固定不变。
e.g. Needs change while policies fossilize.
需要发生改变，但是政策僵化不变。

1. 变成化石：fossilizaiton 化石化 | fossilize 变成化石 | fossilogy 化石学

2. 化石化：fossilization 化石化 | fossilize 化石化 | fossilology 化石学

3. 僵化[陶]：forms of speech 言語形式[陶] | fossilize 僵化[陶] | framing 框架[陶]

4. 使成化石：fossilizationfossilize 固定化 | fossilize 使成化石 | fossilize 变陈腐