stiffen
/ˈstɪfən/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.49 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "As Willis spoke and tried to smile the voices inside him rang together like a bell, stiffening him and hollowing him and emptying him of his troubled song."
- "Criminal prosecutions of abusers are generally the responsibility of local authorities, but the act stiffened sentences for stalking under federal law."
- "It followed a sequence of functions: a machine cuts cloth panels to be sewn, the panels are drenched with the polymer and stiffened, a robotic arm uses suction cups to lift each panel and position it in a sewing machine. Finally, the robotic arm lifts the stitched T-shirt off the sewing machine. […] The system could work for most fabrics, with the exception of leather and waterproof materials that can't be drenched with the stiffening polymer. […] Zornow has patents pending in 10 countries for the process to stiffen fabric."
- "Bewildered by the unexpected greeting, my son stiffened, but managed a polite answer."
- "He does note that fascia, like most connective tissue in the body, stiffens with age, overuse and injury."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: stifnen