harden
/ˈhɑɹdn̩/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.52 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To modify (a website or other system) to make it resistant to malicious attacks.
Transitive verb
verb
To unpalatalize or velarize.
Example Sentences
- "The Chief Medical Officer of London Transport believes that public opinion against smoking will harden to the point of a total bar on the Underground, as in other countries."
- "In view of the system's relatively low cost, the preferred alternative could be for the military user to avail himself of multiple base stations rather than seeking to harden the base station hardware for defense applications."
- "Ramos had locked Salah’s right arm and turned him, judo-style, as they lost balance going for the same ball. Television replays hardened the suspicion it was a calculated move on Ramos’s part and, when Salah landed with a hell of a thud, the damage was considerable."
- "(obs.)"
- "When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go."
- "He hardened as he imagined himself running his hands over her small breasts"
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kret-der.? Proto-Germanic *harduz Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *hardijaną Proto-West Germanic *hardijan Old English hierdan ▲ Proto-Germanic *harduz Proto-Indo-European *-yos Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Germanic *-jaz Proto-West Germanic *-ī Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī) Proto-Germanic *-āną Proto-West Germanic *-ēn Proto-West Germanic *hardēn Old English heardian Middle English harden Proto-Indo-European *-o- Proto-Indo-European *-nom Proto-Indo-European *-onom Proto-Germanic *-aną ▲ Proto-Germanic *-janą Old English -an Middle English -en Middle English hardenen English harden From Middle English hardenen, equivalent to hard + -en. Cognate with Danish hærdne (“to harden; cure”), Swedish hårdna (“to harden”), Norwegian herdne (“to harden”), Icelandic harðna (“to harden”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɑɹdn̩/
- British English: /ˈhɑːdn̩/