Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act or process of becoming hard or harder.
  • noun Something that hardens, as a substance added to iron to yield steel.
  • noun Gradual exposure of plants to cold weather.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Making hard or harder.
  • noun That which hardens, as a material used for converting the surface of iron into steel.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of harden.
  • noun The process by which something hardens.
  • noun That which hardens, such as a material used for converting the surface of iron into steel.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization
  • noun abnormal hardening or thickening of tissue
  • noun the act of making something harder (firmer or tighter or more compact)

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word hardening.

Examples

  • “It would not be important, even with its location unusual,” she replied, her expression hardening in a manner that made Fandral frown and the other druids stir, “if Elune herself had not revealed to me the dread truth.”

    WORLD OF WARCRAFT STORMRAGE Richard A. Knaak 2010

  • “It would not be important, even with its location unusual,” she replied, her expression hardening in a manner that made Fandral frown and the other druids stir, “if Elune herself had not revealed to me the dread truth.”

    WORLD OF WARCRAFT STORMRAGE Richard A. Knaak 2010

  • “It would not be important, even with its location unusual,” she replied, her expression hardening in a manner that made Fandral frown and the other druids stir, “if Elune herself had not revealed to me the dread truth.”

    WORLD OF WARCRAFT STORMRAGE Richard A. Knaak 2010

  • He focused on it, his expression hardening as he recognized what it was.

    THE SUNDERING RICHARD A. KNAAK 2005

  • And then, with his expression hardening, he turns to the other agenda, the real one, the one the Brotherhood has nursed along since 1928--including a long period of of ideological alliance with the Nazis--the agenda that its Palestinian branch is applying in Gaza.

    Bernard-Henri Lévy: Egypt: Year Zero Bernard-Henri Lévy 2011

  • And then, with his expression hardening, he turns to the other agenda, the real one, the one the Brotherhood has nursed along since 1928--including a long period of of ideological alliance with the Nazis--the agenda that its Palestinian branch is applying in Gaza.

    Bernard-Henri Lévy: Egypt: Year Zero Bernard-Henri Lévy 2011

  • “I did,” Donatra said, her expression hardening, “but my largesse was rebuffed.”

    Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire David R. George III 2011

  • And then, with his expression hardening, he turns to the other agenda, the real one, the one the Brotherhood has nursed along since 1928--including a long period of of ideological alliance with the Nazis--the agenda that its Palestinian branch is applying in Gaza.

    Bernard-Henri Lévy: Egypt: Year Zero Bernard-Henri Lévy 2011

  • “I did,” Donatra said, her expression hardening, “but my largesse was rebuffed.”

    Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire David R. George III 2011

  • “I did,” Donatra said, her expression hardening, “but my largesse was rebuffed.”

    Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire David R. George III 2011

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.