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hardness

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hardness


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Hardness  \Hard"ness\,  n.  [AS.  heardness.] 
  1.  The  quality  or  state  of  being  hard,  literally  or 
  figuratively. 
 
  The  habit  of  authority  also  had  given  his  manners 
  some  peremptory  hardness.  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  2.  (Min.)  The  cohesion  of  the  particles  on  the  surface  of  a 
  body,  determined  by  its  capacity  to  scratch  another,  or  be 
  itself  scratched;-measured  among  minerals  on  a  scale  of 
  which  diamond  and  talc  form  the  extremes. 
 
  3.  (Chem.)  The  peculiar  quality  exhibited  by  water  which  has 
  mineral  salts  dissolved  in  it  Such  water  forms  an 
  insoluble  compound  with  soap,  and  is  hence  unfit  for 
  washing  purposes. 
 
  Note:  This  quality  is  caused  by  the  presence  of  calcium 
  carbonate,  causing  temporary  hardness  which  can  be 
  removed  by  boiling,  or  by  calcium  sulphate,  causing 
  permanent  hardness  which  can  not  be  so  removed,  but  may 
  be  improved  by  the  addition  of  sodium  carbonate. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  hardness 
  n  1:  the  property  of  being  rigid  and  resistant  to  pressure;  not 
  easily  scratched  [ant:  {softness}] 
  2:  devoid  of  passion  or  feeling  [syn:  {unfeelingness},  {callousness}, 
  {insensibility}] 
  3:  the  quality  of  being  difficult  to  do  "he  assigned  a  series 
  of  problems  of  increasing  hardness" 
  4:  excessive  sternness;  "the  severity  of  his  punishment  was 
  inhuman"  [syn:  {severity},  {harshness},  {inclemency},  {stiffness}] 




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