n.
Pronunciation: ˌ ä-s ə -f ə - ' k ā -sh ə n
Function: noun
Date: 1697
1 a : the natural process of bone formation b : the hardening (as of muscular tissue) into a bony substance
2 : a mass or particle of ossified tissue
3 : a tendency toward or state of being molded into a rigid, conventional, sterile, or unimaginative condition