Also means
to stop dead, to fix in place
Usage Note
Figer describes fat or oil solidifying when cooled (la sauce a figé) but is very commonly used figuratively — rester figé sur place means to be rooted to the spot in shock. The expression figé dans le temps (frozen in time) is a frequent idiom. Its past participle figé also describes set or fossilised expressions in language.
Examples
"La peur l'a figé sur place."
Natural Translation
Fear froze him on the spot.
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