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To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by calcareous deposits.

A variety of bronze possessing great hardness, elasticity, and toughness, obtained by melting copper with tin phosphide. It contains one or two per cent of phosphorus and from five to fifteen per cent of tin.

The quality or state of having been proved or tried; firmness or hardness that resists impression, or does not yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies.

The becoming stiff or rigid; the state of being rigid; rigidity; stiffness; hardness. The rest his look Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move. Milton.

re; made of sapphire; having the color, or any quality of sapphire. "Sapphirine degree of hardness." Boyle.

A disease of adults, characterized by a diffuse rigidity and hardness of the skin.

An instrument for determining with accuracy the degree of hardness of a mineral.

To burn (the surface of) to dryness and hardness; to cauterize; to expose to a degree of heat such as changes the color or the hardness and texture of the surface; to scorch; to make callous; as, to sear the skin or flesh. Also used figuratively. I'm seared with burning steel. Rowe. It was in vain that the amiable divi…

A form of silicon carbide, produced in the electric furnace, possessing great hardness, and high electrical resistance, and not subject to oxidation below 2880º F., or 1600º C.

The quality or state of being soft; -- opposed to Ant: hardness, and used in the various specific senses of the adjective.

imary quality or affection of matter by which its particles exclude or resist all others; hardness; massiveness. That which hinders the approach of two bodies when they are moving one toward another, I call solidity. Locke.

A mineral occuring in octahedrons of great hardness and various colors, as red, green, blue, brown, and black, the red variety being the gem spinel ruby. It consist essentially of alumina and magnesia, but commonly contains iron and sometimes also chromium.

y its solidity, so that when present in considerable quantity it materially increases the hardness, or raises the melting point, of the fat, as in mutton tallow. Chemically, it is a compound of glyceryl with three molecules of stearic acid, and hence is technically called tristearin, or glyceryl tristearate.…

Fig.: Anything of extreme hardness; that which is characterized by sternness or rigor. "Heads of steel." Johnson. "Manhood's heart of steel." Byron.

Having a certain hardness or severity of nature, manner, or aspect; hard; severe; rigid; rigorous; austere; fixed; unchanging; unrelenting; hence, serious; resolute; harsh; as, a sternresolve; a stern necessity; a stern heart; a stern gaze; a stern decree. The sterne wind so loud gan to rout. Chaucer. I would outstare…

Fig.: Symbol of hardness and insensibility; torpidness; insensibility; as, a heart of stone. I have not yet forgot myself to stone. Pope.

stupefied. [Written also stupifaction.] Resistance of the dictates of conscience brings a hardness and stupefaction upon it. South.

ariety. Indurated talc, an impure, slaty talc, with a nearly compact texture, and greater hardness than common talc; -- called also talc slate.

To bring to a proper degree of hardness; as, to temper iron or steel. The tempered metals clash, and yield a silver sound. Dryden.

The process of giving the requisite degree of hardness or softness to a substance, as iron and steel; especially, the process of giving to steel the degree of hardness required for various purposes, consisting usually in first plunging the article, when heated to redness, in cold water or other liquid, to give an exces…