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To accustom to the hand; to work upon, or take care of, with the hands. The hardness of the winters forces the breeders to house and handle their colts six months every year. Sir W. Temple.

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…

Hardihood; boldness; firmness; assurance. Spenser. Plenty and peace breeds cowards; Hardness ever Of hardiness is mother. Shak. They who were not yet grown to the hardiness of avowing the contempt of the king. Clarendon.

as by a spray of cold water. This process gives an armor plate a thick surface of extreme hardness supported by material gradually decreasing in hardness to the unaltered soft steel at the back.

The condition of being impenitent; failure or refusal to repent; hardness of heart. He will advance from one degree of wickedness and impenitence to another. Rogers.

Hardness of character, manner, sensibility, etc.; obduracy; stiffness; want of pliancy or feeling. A certain induration of character had arisen from long habits of business. Coleridge.

ative compound of iridium and osmium. It is found in flattened metallic grains of extreme hardness, and is often used for pointing gold pens.

Like iron in hardness, strength, impenetrability, power of endurance, insensibility, etc.; as:

Resembling iron taste, hardness, or other physical property.

rpa, often as large as a hen's egg. When young the seed contains a fluid, which gradually hardness into a whitish, close- grained, albuminous substance, resembling the finest ivory in texture and color, whence it is called vegetable ivory. It is wrought into various articles, as buttons, chessmen, etc. The palm is foun…

Linseed oil brought to various degrees of hardness by some oxidizing process, as by exposure to heated air, or by treatment with chloride of sulphur. In this condition it is used for many of the purposes to which India rubber has been applied.

To soften; to make tender; to reduce the hardness, harshness, or asperity of; to qualify; as, to mollify the ground. With sweet science mollified their stubborn hearts. Spenser.

The duality or state of being obdurate; invincible hardness of heart; obstinacy. "Obduracy and persistency." Shak. The absolute completion of sin in final obduracy. South.

A hardening of the heart; hardness of heart. [Obs.]

Hardness. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Hardness of heart; obduracy. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.

Possessing inferior hardness, brilliancy, or beauty; -- used of inferior precious stones and gems, because those found in the Orient are generally superior.

A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity.

Abnormal hardness and density of bone.

onversion of any organic matter (animal or vegetable) into stone, or a substance of stony hardness.