Dictionary
hard•en
Pronunciation: (här'dn), [key]—
v.t.
1. to make hard or harder:
to harden steel.
2. to make pitiless or unfeeling:
to harden one's heart.
3. to make rigid or unyielding; stiffen:
The rigors of poverty hardened his personality.
4. to strengthen or confirm, esp. with reference to character, intentions, feelings, etc.; reinforce.
5. to make hardy, robust, or capable of endurance; toughen.
6. Mil.to reinforce the structure of (a military or strategic installation) to protect it from nuclear bombardment.
—
v.i.
1. to become hard or harder.
2. to become pitiless or unfeeling.
3. to become rigid or unyielding; stiffen:
His personality hardened over the years.
4. to become confirmed or strengthened:
His resistance hardened.
5. to become inured or toughened:
The troops hardened under constant fire.
6. Com.(of a market, prices, etc.)
a. to cease to fluctuate; firm:
When the speculators withdrew from the market, the prices hardened.
b. to rise higher.
Har•den
Pronunciation: (här'dn), [key]—
n.
Sir Arthur, 1865–1940, English biochemist: Nobel prize 1929.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
