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hardest

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hardest

 

  1  definition  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Hard  \Hard\,  a.  [Compar.  {Harder};  superl.  {Hardest}.]  [{OE}. 
  heard,  AS  heard;  akin  to  OS  &  D.  heard,  G.  hart,  OHG. 
  harti,  Icel.  har?r,  Dan.  haard,  Sw  h[*a]rd,  Goth.  hardus, 
  Gr.?  strong,  ?,  ?,  strength,  and  also  to  E.  -ard,  as  in 
  coward,  drunkard,  -crat,  -cracy  in  autocrat,  democracy;  cf 
  Skr.  kratu  strength,  ?  to  do  make  Cf  {Hardy}.] 
  1.  Not  easily  penetrated,  cut,  or  separated  into  parts  not 
  yielding  to  pressure;  firm;  solid;  compact;  --  applied  to 
  material  bodies,  and  opposed  to  soft;  as  hard  wood;  hard 
  flesh;  a  hard  apple. 
 
  2.  Difficult,  mentally  or  judicially;  not  easily  apprehended, 
  decided,  or  resolved;  as  a  hard  problem. 
 
  The  hard  causes  they  brought  unto  Moses.  --Ex. 
  xviii.  26. 
 
  In  which  are  some  things  hard  to  be  understood.  --2 
  Peter  iii.  16. 
 
  3.  Difficult  to  accomplish;  full  of  obstacles;  laborious; 
  fatiguing;  arduous;  as  a  hard  task;  a  disease  hard  to 
  cure. 
 
  4.  Difficult  to  resist  or  control;  powerful. 
 
  The  stag  was  too  hard  for  the  horse.  --L'Estrange. 
 
  A  power  which  will  be  always  too  hard  for  them 
  --Addison. 
 
  5.  Difficult  to  bear  or  endure;  not  easy  to  put  up  with  or 
  consent  to  hence  severe;  rigorous;  oppressive; 
  distressing;  unjust;  grasping;  as  a  hard  lot  hard  times; 
  hard  fare;  a  hard  winter;  hard  conditions  or  terms. 
 
  I  never  could  drive  a  hard  bargain.  --Burke. 
 
  6.  Difficult  to  please  or  influence;  stern;  unyielding; 
  obdurate;  unsympathetic;  unfeeling;  cruel;  as  a  hard 
  master;  a  hard  heart;  hard  words  a  hard  character. 
 
  7.  Not  easy  or  agreeable  to  the  taste;  stiff;  rigid; 
  ungraceful;  repelling;  as  a  hard  style. 
 
  Figures  harder  than  even  the  marble  itself 
  --Dryden. 
 
  8.  Rough;  acid;  sour,  as  liquors;  as  hard  cider. 
 
  9.  (Pron.)  Abrupt  or  explosive  in  utterance;  not  aspirated, 
  sibilated,  or  pronounced  with  a  gradual  change  of  the 
  organs  from  one  position  to  another;  --  said  of  certain 
  consonants,  as  c  in  came  and  g  in  go  as  distinguished 
  from  the  same  letters  in  center,  general,  etc 
 
  10.  Wanting  softness  or  smoothness  of  utterance;  harsh;  as  a 
  hard  tone. 
 
  11.  (Painting) 
  a  Rigid  in  the  drawing  or  distribution  of  the  figures; 
  formal;  lacking  grace  of  composition. 
  b  Having  disagreeable  and  abrupt  contrasts  in  the 
  coloring  or  light  and  shade. 
 
  {Hard  cancer},  {Hard  case},  etc  See  under  {Cancer},  {Case}, 
  etc 
 
  {Hard  clam},  or  {Hard-shelled  clam}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  guahog. 
 
 
  {Hard  coal},  anthracite,  as  distinguished  from  bituminous  or 
  soft  coal. 
 
  {Hard  and  fast}.  (Naut.)  See  under  {Fast}. 
 
  {Hard  finish}  (Arch.),  a  smooth  finishing  coat  of  hard  fine 
  plaster  applied  to  the  surface  of  rough  plastering. 
 
  {Hard  lines},  hardship;  difficult  conditions. 
 
  {Hard  money},  coin  or  specie,  as  distinguished  from  paper 
  money. 
 
  {Hard  oyster}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  northern  native  oyster.  [Local, 
  U.  S.] 
 
  {Hard  pan},  the  hard  stratum  of  earth  lying  beneath  the  soil; 
  hence  figuratively,  the  firm,  substantial,  fundamental 
  part  or  quality  of  anything  as  the  hard  pan  of 
  character,  of  a  matter  in  dispute,  etc  See  {Pan}. 
 
  {Hard  rubber}.  See  under  {Rubber}. 
 
  {Hard  solder}.  See  under  {Solder}. 
 
  {Hard  water},  water,  which  contains  lime  or  some  mineral 
  substance  rendering  it  unfit  for  washing.  See  {Hardness}, 
  3. 
 
  {Hard  wood},  wood  of  a  solid  or  hard  texture;  as  walnut,  oak, 
  ash,  box,  and  the  like  in  distinction  from  pine,  poplar, 
  hemlock,  etc 
 
  {In  hard  condition},  in  excellent  condition  for  racing; 
  having  firm  muscles;-said  of  race  horses. 
 
  Syn:  Solid;  arduous;  powerful;  trying;  unyielding;  stubborn; 
  stern;  flinty;  unfeeling;  harsh;  difficult;  severe; 
  obdurate;  rigid.  See  {Solid},  and  {Arduous}.




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