vit·ri·fy
ˈvi-trə-ˌfī 
vitrified; vitrifying
: to convert into glass or a glassy substance by heat and fusion
: to become vitrified
vit·ri·fi·ca·tion
ˌvi‧trəfə̇ˈkāshən
plural -s
1
: an act or instance or the process of vitrifying
2
a
: the condition of being vitrified
b
: a vitrified body
Examples of vitrify in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2023
In one case, researchers said the heat was enough to vitrify the brain of a body in Herculaneum, turning it into a hard glasslike substance, as the temperature reached 968 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Katrina Lau, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2021
Nearby scraps of burned wood suggest temperatures could have reached as high as 998 degrees Fahrenheit—certainly hot enough to vitrify soft tissue, National Geographic reports.
—Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 24 Jan. 2020
The eggs are then placed in a petri dish alongside sperm, and fertilization and embryo development are monitored for several days before transferring the embryo(s) into the uterus or vitrifying them for a future transfer.
—Kae Zaino, Outside Online, 26 June 2019
Fertility experts use extreme cooling to vitrify immature human eggs and embryos, better preserving them.
—Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2018
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Verb
The lightning’s electrical discharge had vitrified the nearby sand into a rock called fulgurite, prized by crystal healers as an extremely high-energy stone.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2023
In one case, researchers said the heat was enough to vitrify the brain of a body in Herculaneum, turning it into a hard glasslike substance, as the temperature reached 968 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Katrina Lau, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2021
Nearby scraps of burned wood suggest temperatures could have reached as high as 998 degrees Fahrenheit—certainly hot enough to vitrify soft tissue, National Geographic reports.
—Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 24 Jan. 2020
The eggs are then placed in a petri dish alongside sperm, and fertilization and embryo development are monitored for several days before transferring the embryo(s) into the uterus or vitrifying them for a future transfer.
—Kae Zaino, Outside Online, 26 June 2019
Fertility experts use extreme cooling to vitrify immature human eggs and embryos, better preserving them.
—Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Vitrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitrify. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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