An object made of stone; (also) an object formed by petrifaction.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in Harper's Magazine. From classical Latin petra rock, stone + -fact. Compare post-classical Latin petrefactum, German Petrefakt fossil.
Definition of petrifact in US English:
petrifact
(also petrefact)
nounˈpɛtrɪfakt
An object made of stone; (also) an object formed by petrifaction.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in Harper's Magazine. From classical Latin petra rock, stone + -fact. Compare post-classical Latin petrefactum, German Petrefakt fossil.