hardness
/ˈhɑɹdnəs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.17 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The quantity of calcium carbonate dissolved in water, usually expressed in parts per million (ppm).
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The resistance to scratching, cutting, indentation or abrasion of a metal or other solid material.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The penetrating ability of electromagnetic radiation, such as x-rays; generally, the shorter the wavelength, the harder and more penetrating the radiation.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The measure of resistance to damage of a facility, equipment, installation, or telecommunications infrastructure when subjected to attack.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Who can number the cloudes in wiſedom? or who can ſtay the bottles of heauen, / When the duſt groweeh^([sic – meaning groweth]) into hardneſſe and the clods cleaue faſt together?"
- "The hardness of the material was high."
- "“This material has a specific hardness and is chemically very stable. It forms naturally from calcium alone, but bacteria accelerate the transformation into calcium carbonate,” explains Alejandro Montesinos, head of the Decarbonization, Climate Change, and Circular Economy Research Group at Tec de Monterrey and a member of the Institute of Advanced Materials and Sustainable Manufacturing."
Etymology
From Middle English hardness, hardnesse, from Old English heardnes, from heard + -nes, equivalent to hard + -ness.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɑɹdnəs/
- British English: /ˈhɑːdnəs/