hardadj.n.

Brit.

/hɑːd/, U.S.

/hɑrd/

Forms: early Old English hear (transmission error), Old English eard (rare), Old English heeardes (genitive singular masculine, transmission error), Old English heord (rare), Old English hiard (rare), Old English hierd (rare), Old English hreadre (dative feminine, perhaps transmission error), Old English (rare) Middle English– hard, late Old English hæard, late Old English heærd (Kentish), late Old English–Middle English herd, Old English–early Middle English 1500s heard, early Middle English hærd, early Middle English hearde, early Middle English heart, Middle English ard, Middle English har (transmission error), Middle English hart, Middle English hert, Middle English ( Ormulum) 1800s harrd, Middle English–1500s arde, Middle English–1500s herde, Middle English–1600s harde, 1800s– 'ard (regional and nonstandard); English regional 1700s hurd (Cambridgeshire), 1800s– haad (Yorkshire), 1800s– hahd (Yorkshire); U.S. regional (in African-American usage) 1800s– had (midlands), 1800s– hahd (southern), 1900s– ha'ad (southern), 1900s– haa'd (southern); Scottish pre-1700 harde, pre-1700 1700s– hard, pre-1700 1900s– haird, pre-1700 (1900s– Orkney) herd, 1900s– haurd.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Dutch hard (Middle Dutch hard, harde, hart, Dutch hard), Old Saxon hard (Middle Low German hard, harde), Old High German hart (Middle High German hart, German hart), Old Icelandic harðr, Old Swedish harþer (Swedish hård), Old Danish harth (Danish haard, now hård), Gothic hardus; further etymology uncertain and disputed.Further etymology. As shown by Gothic hardus , the Germanic adjective was originally a u-stem (although Old Icelandic harðr shows a instead of the expected u-mutation to ǫ as a result of early analogy). Other Germanic languages show the variation between a- and ja-stem forms which is typical of former u-stems. The latter type is represented by forms with i-mutation of the stem vowel: Old Frisian herd (West Frisian hurd ), Middle Dutch herd , hert , Middle Low German herd , Old High German harti , herti (Middle High German herte , German †hert ). No forms with i-mutation appear to survive in English; such forms as Middle English herd , herde are the result of later phonological developments and chiefly reflect lengthening of the stem vowel before the homorganic consonant group -rd- . The Germanic adjective is perhaps further cognate with ancient Greek κρατύς strong, powerful, although this has been disputed; for a discussion of recent views see A. L. Lloyd et al. Etymol. Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen (2009) IV. at hart. A proposed connection with Lithuanian kartus bitter (of taste) and (with added suffix) Old Church Slavonic kratŭkŭ short, and also with Sanskrit kṛt- to cut and Lithuanian kirsti to hew, presents formal and semantic difficulties. It is uncertain whether any of those words, including the Lithuanian adjective and verb, are related to each other. Specific senses. With reference to railway accommodation in Russia and China (see sense A. 1c(b)) respectively after Russian žëstkij hard, stiff (in žëstkij vagon , lit. ‘hard car’ (1925 or earlier)) and Chinese yìng hard (in e.g. yìngzuò , also yìngxí , both lit. ‘hard seat’, yìngwò , lit. ‘hard berth’), both having reference to unupholstered or poorly upholstered seats and beds. Compare hard adv. 7b. In use with reference to wine (see sense A. 17c) originally after Middle French rude rude adj. (1552 in this sense). In use with reference to the pulse (see sense A. 6) after post-classical Latin pulsus durus (first half of the 13th cent. in a British source). In use with reference to water (see sense A. 19) originally after French †aspre asper adj. (1658 in the passage translated in quot. 1660, or earlier, in this sense; now âpre). Use in names. The base is a common element in Germanic personal names, compare e.g. Old English Heardred, Æðelheard, Cyneheard, Frankish Harduin, Old High German Hartwig, Ekkehard, Gerhart, early Scandinavian (runic: Sweden) Harðstæinn, Gepid (in Latinized form) Ardaricus.

A. adj.

I. Not soft; resistant to force or pressure; firm, solid, unyielding; robust.

a. Firm and unyielding in consistency; not easily broken, bent, or pierced; solid, rigid.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective]

hardeOE

strongOE

stithOE

starkc1275

sturdyc1374

brazena1382

mighty?1448

boisterous?1571

oaky1631

stout1765

pang1813

the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adjective]

hardeOE

braasny1382

dure1412

flinty?1541

obdurate1598

putaminous1598

oakeda1618

marblya1620

obdure1625

marmorean1656

durous1666

calculous1682

scirrhous1694

horn-hard1768

marmoreal1798

the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective] > unyielding

hardeOE

steevec1300

stubborn1577

unrelenting1594

unyielding1658

renitent1701

unsusceptible1893

eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. iv. 182 Wiþ heardum swile þæs magan.

OE Beowulf (2008) 2509 Nu sceall billes ecg, hond ond heard sweord ymb hord wigan.

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 129 (MED) Þurh þisse tacne Moyses werp ut þet welle weter of þan herda flinte.

c1300 St. Brendan (Laud) l. 520 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 234 So longe huy wenden euene south þat huy i-seiȝen at þen ende One harde roche In þe se.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 733 (MED) Stiel is hardest in his kynde.

?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 79 Þai er so hard þat þare may na metell pulisch þam.

?a1475 Noble Bk. Cookry in Middle Eng. Dict. (at cited word) Cast on a drige mad with hard yolks of eggs.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxxviii. 15 He cloaue the hard rockes.

1594 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. II. 148 The substance thereof is thicke, and harder then any other skinne.

1657 R. Ligon True Hist. Barbados 72 Leaves..extreamly stiffe and hard.

1690 W. Temple Ess. Gardens of Epicurus 47 in Miscellanea: 2nd Pt. Of the Pavies or Hard Peaches, I know none good here but the Newington.

1721 W. Gibson Farriers Dispensatory i. i. 25 To ripen or dissolve hard impacted Humours.

1739 S. Harrison House-keeper's Pocket-bk. (ed. 2) 44 Cut four pounds of stewing Beef, with some of the hard Fat of Brisket Beef cut into Pieces.

1764 T. Reid Inq. Human Mind v. §2. 114 When the parts of a body adhere so firmly, that it cannot easily be made to change its figure, we call it hard.

1825 Q. Jrnl. Sci. & Arts July 190 The detrition and rounding down of the hardest substances in nature.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. ii. 10 If it did not yield in the slightest degree it would be perfectly hard.

1938 W. H. Hamilton Dakota in S. Dakota Hist. Coll. 19 532 We wet the gumbo floor and pounded it until it was as hard as a rock.

1952 M. Price & A. T. Bishop Art School Self-taught ii. iii. 275 For erasing errors, a harder rubber is needed.

2008 Independent 2 Dec. (Life section) 6/1 A hard metal from the platinum family, rhodium is mostly mined in South Africa and Russia.

b. Abrasive to the touch; rough, coarse.

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the world > matter > constitution of matter > other specific kinds of texture > [adjective] > coarse

greateOE

hardOE

boistous1398

hask?a1425

roidc1485

gross?1504

gruff1533

coarse1582

stoggie1825

broad1908

OE Blickling Homilies 221 Mid hærenum hwægle [read hrægle] swiþe heardum & unwinsumum.

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 71 Nest is heard utewið of prikinde þornes, inwið nesche & softe.

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 1475 He werede harde here, Schurte and brech hard ynouȝ: hardere non nere.

?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 4 (MED) And a harde sharpe cloþe be wette in þe juis of this erbe, let rubbe the morfue with that cloþe and hit shall fall a-way.

a1500 (?c1425) Speculum Sacerdotale (1936) 129 (MED) His woundes schuld ben i-sperkilid with salt and rubbid with an hard hayre.

1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum v. lxv. f. 69/2 Men and women that dwell in hotte and drie Countryes, haue hard haire and crispe.

1651 D. Border Πολυϕαρμακος και Χυμιστης xliv. 20 Which cloth you may afterward make a Searcloath of, it must not be any hard cloath but soft.

1674 A. Cremer tr. J. Scheffer Hist. Lapland 12 The hair of both Sexes is generally black and hard.

1786 W. Warrington Hist. Wales iii. 110 A few rushes being strowed on the floor, and covered only with a coarse hard cloth.

1894 M. Parloa Miss Parloa's Young Housekeeper ii. 21 This hard fabric scratches and does not wipe dry.

1963 Pop. Mech. Jan. 194/2 If you catch rust stains quickly enough, you can usually erase them with energetic hard-cloth rubbing.

2002 G. L. Bellman Flatbush Fiction 130 Bill, you're using the hard sandpaper, use the soft already, we're practically down to the primer.

(a) Of a bed, pillow, seat, etc.: not yielding easily or comfortably to the weight of the body; (esp. of a chair) not padded or upholstered.Cf. firm adj. 1, which is generally used with more positive connotations of support and comfort.

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OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxix. 425 Decius cwæð to þam cwellerum: ahebbað þæt isene bed to þam fyre, þæt se modiga laurentius hine þæron gereste. Hi þærrihte hine wædum bereafodon, & on þam heardan bedde astrehton.

c1300 St. Faith (Laud) l. 58 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 85 He liet fette a bed of bras..and in þis harde bedde ire do.

?1492 tr. Raymond of Capua Lyf St. Katherin of Senis (de Worde) ii. vi. sig. hiii/1 Whan she was come home she layd[e hy]r doune vpon hir harde bedde.

a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 76 Þes þynges dryes and feblys þe body..; to slepe byfore mete vpon a hard bed; [etc.].

1581 J. Studley tr. Seneca Hippolytus ii, in T. Newton et al. tr. Seneca 10 Trag. f. 64 The carelesse corpes doth rest at ease vpon the hardest Couch.

1651 P. Armin tr. F. Glisson et al. Treat. Rickets xxxv. 361 Laying a little hard Cushion underneath, wheron the gibbous part may rest.

1659 W. Charleton Nat. Hist. Nutrition x. 167 That there are small Channels in the Nerves, may be perceived by their Compression in our limbs, as when we have long sate upon a hard seat.

1743 H. Bracken Traveller's Pocket-farrier 52 The common Saying is, A hard Chair or Seat is best for the Cure of the Piles.

1882 Warren (Pa.) Ledger 8 Sept. Twenty single beds, with spring mattresses and good hard pillows.

1917 I. MacDonald Home Nursing (rev. ed.) 153 To prepare the bed for a fracture case, use the hardest mattress you can find.

1984 K. Williams Diary 12 Mar. (1993) 693 Two rows of hard chairs to accommodate about forty elderly..residents who looked vaguely discomforted.

2010 M. Rowen Something Wicked ix. 104 The black sofa was hard, with no give, and smelled new.

(b) Chiefly in Russian and Chinese contexts: designating the lowest class of accommodation available on a train.Chiefly in hard class and hard seat, frequently attributive or used adverbially.Used with reference to the unupholstered or poorly upholstered seats in such accommodation: see note in etymology. Cf. hard adv. 7b, soft adj. 8c, third class n. and adj.

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1898 Sporting Times 16 Apr. 2/3 Any brawny son of toil excursioning, can pay for a hard-seat ticket and luxuriate in a first-class lounge.

1928 Cook's Continental Timetable 15 May 102 Sleeping car of direct communication, soft and hard class.

1936 E. Mannin South to Samarkand xvi. 179 The smell of a Russian ‘hard’ compartment is a smell of feet and garlic.

1967 D. Jenner Lett. from Peking lvii. 68 We managed to travel hard class—a great achievement for foreigners.

1983 Pacific Stars & Stripes 20 Jan. 9/1 Those who have never traveled ‘hard seat’.., have missed one of the most challenging experiences the People's Republic has to offer.

1997 S. China Morning Post (Nexis) 19 May 3 Tickets for soft-sleeper beds and hard-sleeper beds are 934 yuan and 706 yuan respectively.

2004 D. Evans MVP 138 Mostly backpackers and Russian businessmen rode in hard-class.

d. Tightly wound, woven, or knotted. Also: densely packed, rolled, or bound.

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OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 182 Þa het se wælhreowa þone halgan wer gebindan, and ænne mæssepreost þe he him mid funde, Rusticus geciged, and sumne ercediacon Eleutherius gehaten, mid heardum cnottum samod.

c1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent. (1939) 12 (MED) Thou scourge, with cordis thou brak the skyne With hard knottis.

1597 P. Lowe Whole Course Chirurg. vi. i. sig. S2 Long needles and strong thread, double with a hard knot in the end.

1655 Duchess of Newcastle Philos. & Physical Opinions cxcvi. 153 More strength goeth to untie a hard knot, then a loose knot, or to untwist a hard string, then a loose string.

1763 Observ. Several Matters offered to Linen Board 43 The means by which the Drapers..get the pieces to look small, is the rolling them up in hard Bundles.

1835 A. Ure Philos. Manuf. ii. iii. 126 The longer wools of the Leicestershire breed are manufactured into hard yarns, for worsted pieces.., carpets.., &c.

1850 C. M. Yonge Langley School vii. 51 Her hair..tied into four hard plaits, and looking like handles to lift her up by.

1901 P. Emerson New Eng. States 55 A strong, closely twisted, smooth, hard yarn is spun.

1922 Outing Mar. 287/1 The stores here sell snake proof canvas leggings of a tight, hard weave.

1981 T. Frid Woodworking: Shaping, Veneering, Finishing viii. 196/2 Make each pad from a clean wool rag packed into a hard ball.

2014 L. Matson Nil iv. 20 Talla stepped out from the Shack, her blond hair tied in a hard knot.

e. Of an egg: cooked so that both the white and yolk are solid. Cf. hard-boiled adj. 1a. Now chiefly Australian.

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the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > cooking > [adjective] > cooked (of specific food) > eggs

rearlOE

harda1425

poachedc1450

soft-boiled1577

hard-boiled1589

rare1655

rath egg1684

in the shell1692

dropped1824

rumpled1896

a1425 (a1399) Forme of Cury (BL Add.) 177 in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 137 Take harde eyren isode and yground.

c1470 (?1458) W. Wey Itineraries (1857) 7 (MED) Whan ye schal ryde to flvm Jordan take wyth yow..bred, wyne, water, hard chese, and hard eggys.

?1537 T. Elyot Castell of Helthe i. f. 14/1 Meates makyng thycke iuyce..Cheese, Egges fryed or hard, Chesten nuttes.

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 188 Prescribing him a diet; which is to drink water, and to eat hard Egs.

1650 tr. Joannes de Mediolano Regimen Sanitatis Salerni (new ed.) 29 Potched Egs, are better then Egges roasted, hard or rere.

1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) at Grass-Week The commons..consist chiefly of sallets, with hard eggs, green sauce, etc.

1753 T. Smollett Ferdinand Count Fathom II. xl. 37 The major, who complained that his appetite had forsaken him, amused himself with some forty hard eggs.

1837 R. Huish Female's Friend 330/1 Boil four eggs until they are hard, and put them into cold water.

1879 Math. Questions with their Solutions 31 38 This question took its rise from Col. Clarke's ingenious problem..to find, by a mathematical process, whether a boiled egg is hard or soft.

1914 M. Walli Suomalais-Amerikalainen Keittokirja 194/2 Boil one egg until hard.

1962 L. Deighton Ipcress File xxi. 143 I was loaded with anchovy,..hard egg and salmon.

2008 Gold Coast Bull. (Austral.) (Nexis) 23 Aug. 48 The salad is garnished with tuna fish, hard eggs, olives and capers.

f. Of food given to animals: (originally) consisting of dry vegetable matter such as grain or hay, as opposed to grass; (now usually) spec. designating highly nutritious (often commercially prepared) feed mixtures and concentrates (concentrate n. 2).Recorded earliest in hard meat n. Now chiefly in hard feed and hard food.

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1481 E. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 641 I had my horsse wyth hym at lyvery... I payed fore hard mete euer to hym.

1687 G. L. Gentleman's New Jockey ii. 7 Give him..Mashes.., with somewhat that is green and juycey..: Nor indeed ought he to be used to hard Provinder altogether till three years after his weaning.

1788 W. Taplin Gentleman's Stable Directory 18 At the expiration of three or four days..the hard food may naturally be supposed to have dislodged the grass.

1838 J. Stewart Stable Econ. iv. 275 Hard, substantial food, such as raw oats and beans with hay.

1881 North Amer. (Philadelphia) 6 Sept. The grass has long since withered and died, and cattle have been feeding on hard fodder for weeks.

1916 Calif. Poultry Jrnl. July 299/1 Hard feed such as peas and beans..and a handful of Argentine corn and rice.

1993 Horse & Rider Dec. 39/2 (advt.) Supa Barley Rings..can be fed as the sole hard feed to compliment the roughage portion of the diet.

2005 S. McBane 100 Ways to improve Your Horse's Behaviour xl. 62/1 Hard feed means concentrates: this is traditionally oats, but nowadays also high-energy cubes and coarse mixes, or any cereal-based feed.

†g. Undigested (in the stomach). Also figurative. Chiefly in to lie hard. Obsolete.

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the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > [adjective] > digested > undigested

undefied1398

undigest1398

crude1533

raw1533

undecoct1542

undigested1598

hard1601

inconcocted1605

unconcoct1605

unconcocted1611

indigested1620

untempered1822

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxx. xv. 398 Certaine rough and hairie worms, which if they be hung about the necks of young infants, do presently cure them, if haply there be any thing in their meat that stucke and lay hard in their stomack.

1687 R. L'Estrange Answer to Let. to Dissenter 31 Neither is it..Only the bespoken Thanks, at last, that lyes so Hard in our Author's Stomach.

1712 W. Darrell Gentleman Instructed: 3rd Pt. i. 19 At the beginning Debauchery lies hard upon his Stomach, he pukes and is crop-sick.

1752 Happiness Revealed 24 He that has a foul Stomach, or took a Surfeit from such Meat as lies hard upon his Stomach, and can not digest it.

1857 Ballou's Dollar Monthly Mag. Feb. 192/2 Though ‘salt horse’ may suit the iron digestion of a Whaler, it would be apt to sit hard on the stomach of a student of theology.

1871 H. W. Beecher Orig. Plymouth Pulpit 4th Series 368 Sin is sweet in the mouth, and bitter in digestion. It lies hard on the stomach.

h. Of silk: retaining its natural gum (sericin) and hence slightly stiff in texture; not degummed. Chiefly in hard silk.

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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > silk > [adjective] > retaining natural gum

hard1638

souple silk1828

1638 Proclam. Charles I Use of Hard Silk 18 May (single sheet) There is a sort of Silk, called hard-Silk dyed upon the Gumme, which is no other than raw silk dyed or coloured.

1747 R. Campbell London Tradesman lix. 261 Spinning the hard Silk and winding it employs a great Number of Female Hands.

1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products 344/2 Preparing hard silk..for yarn for the silk-stocking maker.

1924 Silk Throwing: Pt. 3 (Internat. Corr. Schools) 2 Skeins of raw, or hard, silk are generally larger than skeins of soft silk and, hence, a hard-silk winder must be equipped with larger swifts on which to support the skeins.

2005 B. M. King Silk & Empire i. 14 ‘Hard’ silk (a yarn that still retained the silk-gum on the thread), was used by some manufacturers for cheaper goods such as plain umbrellas and dress silks.

i. Of the penis, clitoris, or nipples: erect. In later use also of a man: having an erect penis. Cf. sense B. 9 and hard-on adj. and n.

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the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual activity > [adjective] > of penis, clitoris, or nipples: erect

harda1660

erect1897

a1660 in G. R. Quaife Wanton Wenches & Wayward Wives (1979) vii. 166 (modernized text) [He] did take forth his privy parts in his hand and..told her that it was a good hard thing.

1772 Proc. Old Bailey 15 July 316/2 At the time he put his —— into your b——e, it was stiff and hard, was it?

c1864 Rakish Rhymer (1917) 120 My hard p——k is glowing and full to overflowing.

1951 R. M. Berndt & C. H. Berndt Sexual Behaviour Western Arnem Land 64 He had fingered her labia majora until her clitoris was hard.

1967 S. Stevens Go down Dead 85 Close up she look even better she make me hard just looking at her.

1994 W. Farrell Myth Male Power (rev. ed.) xiv. 233 Women laugh at how a man with a hard penis has a soft brain.

2014 A. Schrag Adam i. 6 Her nipples looked hard, and despite his paranoia, Adam could feel himself getting that way too.

j. Of porcelain: made from a paste consisting of kaolin and a feldspar, and typically fired at a very high temperature, resulting in a hard finish that takes a high glaze.

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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > clay compositions > baked clay > pottery or ceramics > [adjective] > porcelain > types of porcelain

hard1776

Nantgarw1820

reticulated1881

grand feu1888

high-fusing1893

paste bodied1915

1776 Selector No. 1. sig. F4 There results from it a hard porcelain, which bears the fire, and is of a whiteness and brilliancy incomparably superior to any other sort of china-ware.

1832 G. R. Porter Treat. Manuf. Porcelain & Glass iii. 43 This paste is not so cohesive or viscous as that which forms hard porcelain.

1885 Encycl. Brit. XIX. 642/1 Bristol porcelain is of interest as being the first hard natural porcelain made in England.

1968 J. Arnold Shell Bk. Country Crafts 234 Hard porcelain, already glazed, is fired at 1300°–1400°C., causing complete fusion.

2005 L. Durbin Architect. Tiles vii. 188 A tiny stream of water under extremely high pressure can precisely cut and etch hard porcelain as if it were cookie dough.

k. Of an oil or fat: having a relatively high melting point, owing to a high proportion of saturated fatty acids; (of a fatty acid) saturated; spec. designating palm oil containing a high proportion of uncombined fatty acids (now chiefly historical). Contrasted with soft adj. 12e.Earlier instances are regarded as contextual use of the general sense (e.g. quot. 1739 at sense A. 1a).

ΚΠ

1842 Penny Cycl. XXII. 169/1 It has been found by Chevreul that different varieties of fatty matter consist chiefly of two kinds: one hard, to which he gave the name stearin; and the other soft, which he termed olein.

1855 T. J. Hutchinson Narr. Niger, Tshadda, & Binuë Explor. vii. 177 He pointed to a canoe in which were two or three hundred calabashes of hard palm-oil.]

1864 J. C. Brough & A. J. Cooley Cycl. Pract. Receipts (ed. 4) 1239/1 The hard fatty acids of vegetable origin,..now so extensively used as candle materials, are obtained from the natural oils and butters by the process known as ‘sulphuric acid saponification’.

1887 C. A. Moloney Sketch Forestry W. Afr. 43 In the trade it [sc. palm-oil] is called ‘hard’ when it contains a larger proportion of ‘stearine’, ‘soft’ when it contains a smaller proportion.

1929 H. A. A. Nicholls & J. H. Holland Text-bk. Trop. Agric. (ed. 2) ii. xix. 566 Palm oil... There is a fermentation process which produces a ‘hard’ oil.

1968 Veg. Oils & Oilseeds (Commonw. Secretariat) 153 Palm oil and palm kernel oil are very different in their constitution and properties... Palm kernel oil is a ‘hard’ oil, closely akin to coconut oil.

1997 M. Lynn Commerce & Econ. Change W. Afr. (2002) ii. 46 Hard oil was high in FFA [= free fatty acid] and was used in candle manufacture and for certain kinds of soap.

2002 Gastronomica Winter 52/1 There is soft, unrefined [palm] oil, which is liquid at room temperature; semi-soft oil; and hard oil, which is solid at room temperature.

l. Of a tennis court: made of asphalt or concrete, now typically covered with a layer of acrylic or other synthetic material, as distinguished from a grass or clay court.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > racket games > lawn tennis > [adjective] > court

white-lined1809

hard1885

1885 Outing Dec. 110/2 Much was expected of the Sears Brothers, but the hard courts, to which they were unaccustomed, prevented them from showing their true form.

1909 Westm. Gaz. 30 Mar. 12/3 It is possible to place too much significance on hard-court results, grass conditions in England being so materially different.

1959 Daily Tel. 1 June 1/4 The French hard-court championships.

1973 G. Mitchell Murder of Busy Lizzie i. 10 A sunken garden, a hard tennis court, miniature golf.

2009 New Yorker 31 Aug. 45/2 They..leaped about on the bright-purple hard court, flicking reflex volleys and high, arcing lobs.

m. In landscape design: designating constructed physical features such as paths, walls, structures, etc., as distinct from vegetation or water; of or composed of such features.Chiefly in hard landscape and hard landscaping; cf. hardscape n., hardscaping n.

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1953 Jrnl. Inst. Landscape Architects No. 27 12/2 From a landscape designer's point of view they offer a welcome opportunity for a completely integrated landscape: ‘hard’ landscape in the garage courts.., and ‘green’ landscape in the internal open spaces.

1957 Brit. Housing & Planning Rev. Nov. 32/2 An urban atmosphere can also be created..by..treating the spaces with ‘hard landscaping’—flagging, cobbles, coloured concrete..and so on.

1988 Times 25 May 4/6 Bloom's..Plant Lover's Garden..ensures that Chelsea is not dominated by hard-landscape gardens.

2007 Irish Times 2 June (Mag.) 20/2 Even the hard design had a sustainable edge, in its recycled-glass path and much-discussed swimming pond.

(a) Physically strong or robust; capable of great physical endurance and exertion; resilient, hardy; (esp. in early use) bold and vigorous in fighting. Cf. hard as nails at nail n. Phrases 5.Now frequently overlapping with sense A. 2a(b).

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > robust

strongeOE

hardOE

stalworthc1175

starka1250

stiff1297

steel to the (very) backa1300

stalworthyc1300

wightc1300

stable13..

valiant1303

stithc1325

toughc1330

wrast1338

stoura1350

sadc1384

wighty14..

derfc1440

substantialc1460

well-jointed1483

felon1487

robust1490

stalwart1508

stoutya1529

robustous?1531

rankc1540

hardy1548

robustious1548

stout1576

rustical1583

rustic1620

iron1638

robustic1652

swankinga1704

strapping1707

rugged1731

solid1741

vaudy1793

flaithulach1829

ironbark1833

swankie1838

tough as (old) boots or leather1843

skookum1847

hard (also tough, sharp) as nails1862

hard-assed1954

nails1974

OE Beowulf (2008) 342 Word æfter spræc heard under helme.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9460 Brutael. þat is a cniht swiðe herd [c1300 Otho hard].

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 808 (MED) Fir[umbras] was hard, & suffrede wel.

?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 167 Þei ben full harde folk & moche peyne & wo mow suffren.

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 1066 There bene full many harde knyghtes of youre bloode.

1511 H. Watson tr. Noble Hist. King Ponthus (new ed.) sig. C.iii Men sayd that he was ye hardest & the strongest of the sarasyns.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 13^v A hard fellowe, brought vp from his childehood to labour.

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 151 Yet is the blacke hound harder and better able to endure cold, then the other which is white.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics i, in tr. Virgil Wks. 52 Men, a hard laborious Kind.

1727 N. Robinson New Method treating Consumptions i. ii. 43 The Hard-Horse shall much sooner regain his Plumpness than the other, which shall droop for a considerable Time after.

1788 R. Potter tr. Sophocles Tragedies 326 I had reach'd the forest of the Selli, (an hard race That o'er the mountains roam at large, and rest Couch'd on the ground).

1852 Eclectic Rev. Mar. 370 There his hard constitution was invaded by a languor which laid him low.

1885 Times 11 Feb. 8/1 The men..look as hard as nails and fit for anything.

1911 R. F. Scott Jrnl. 24 Feb. (2006) 136 There is no doubt that very long days' work could be done by men in hard condition on ski.

1948 in B. Vesey-Fitzgerald Bk. Dog 997 A terrier is said to be hard when he is a very determined fighter.

2014 Evening Standard (Nexis) 12 Sept. 80 BBC1 has live coverage of the Invictus Games [for injured military personnel]. Proper hard, those lads are.

(b) Tough and aggressive; prone to violence or disorderly behaviour; belligerent, intimidating. Cf. hard man n. at Compounds 4. Now chiefly British colloquial, often (esp. among young men) as a term of approval or respect.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > hatred > hostility > [adjective] > disposed to hostile attacks

aggressive1773

hard1923

1923 J. Dos Passos Streets of Night v. 158 Toughs and hard girls circling like dogs before a fight.

1950 A. Lomax Mister Jelly Roll 131 I had become quite a hard boy by then, in fact so hard that it nearly cost me my life.

1985 R. Geary Policing Industr. Disputes vii. 144 According to the pickets..all the trouble was caused by the ‘hard bastards’ drafted in to break the strike.

1996 Guardian (Nexis) 23 Apr. She's wearing combat fatigues, DMs and a piercing stare that says: ‘Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough.’

2008 L. Garner Life Lessons 46 Go on, jump! It'll make you feel dead hard and cool!

2013 Coventry Tel. (Nexis) 7 Feb. 3 (headline) The tough guy who Mike Tyson called ‘the hardest white guy on the planet.’

b. Firm, steadfast; unyielding. Chiefly of a person, with respect to belief, resolve, etc. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adjective]

fasteOE

stathelfasteOE

anredOE

hardOE

starkOE

trueOE

steadfast993

fastredeOE

stithc1000

findyOE

stablea1275

stathelyc1275

stiffc1275

stablec1290

steel to the (very) backa1300

unbowinga1300

stably13..

firm1377

unmovablea1382

constantc1386

abidingc1400

toughc1400

sure1421

unmoblea1425

unfaintedc1425

unfaint1436

permanent?a1475

stalwartc1480

unbroken1513

immovable1534

inconcuss1542

unshaken1548

stout1569

unwavering1570

undiscourageable1571

fixed1574

discourageable1576

unappalled1578

resolute1579

unremoved1583

resolved1585

unflexiblea1586

unshakeda1586

square1589

unstooping1597

iron1598

rocky1601

steady1602

undeclinable1610

unboweda1616

unfainting1615

unswayed1615

staunch1624

undiscourageda1628

staid1631

unshook1633

blue?1636

true blue?1636

tenacious1640

uncomplying1643

yieldless1651

riveting1658

unshakened1659

inconquerable1660

unyielding1677

unbendinga1688

tight1690

unswerving1694

unfaltering1727

unsubmitting1730

undeviating1732

undrooping1736

impervertible1741

undamped1742

undyingc1765

sturdy1775

stiff as a poker1798

unfickle1802

indivertible1821

thick and thin1822

undisheartened1827

inconvertible1829

straightforward1829

indomitable1830

stickfast1831

unsuccumbing1833

unturnable1847

unswerved1849

undivertible1856

unforsaking1862

swerveless1863

steeve1870

rock-ribbed1884

stiff in the back1897

OE Guthlac A 545 Ac se hearda hyge halig wunade, oþþæt he þa bysgu oferbiden hæfde.

OE Menologium 42 Swylce Benedictus embe nigon niht þæs nergend sohte, heard and higestrang.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1596 & ȝiff þin heorrte iss harrd. & starrc. & stedefasst o criste.

a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 662 A man es a tre, þat standes noght harde, Of whilk þe crop es turned donward.

c1450 Speculum Christiani (Harl. 6580) (1933) 172 (MED) The dede of charge of curates es..in ferful dampnacion of vices and in herde [L. dura] correpcion of viciouse men.

1534 R. Barnes Supplicacion H. VIII (rev. ed.) sig. E4 I truste to Gods grace, and the kynges, that my lordes the bysshops, wyll not be so harde, in this poynte of theyr othe, as they haue ben.

a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Suff. 63 His name in Saxon soundeth a pearl, to which he answered in the preciousness of his disposition, clear and hard.

1759 F. Sydenham tr. Greater Hippias 63 How unyielding he is, and how hard in admitting any Assertion.

1836 Wilson's Hist. Tales Borders II. lvi. 26/2 He that is hard in his belief, can only be referred to those schools of nature, where many things, not dreamt of in his philosophy, will find their way to his understanding and his heart.

1911 H. M. Hobson Jinks' Inside vii. 134 I always saw he was set hard in his mind against going there.

c. Stubborn, obstinate; resistant to persuasion or authority; recalcitrant. Cf. hardhead n.² 2a, hard-headed adj. 1, hard-necked adj., hard nolled adj. at Compounds 4.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective]

starkOE

moodyOE

stithc1000

stidyc1175

stallc1275

harda1382

stubbornc1386

obstinate?1387

throa1400

hard nolleda1425

obstinant?a1425

pertinacec1425

stablec1440

dour1488

unresigned1497

difficultc1503

hard-necked1530

pertinatec1534

obstacle1535

stout-stomached1549

hard-faced1567

stunt1581

hard-headed1583

pertinacious1583

stuntly1583

peremptory1589

stomachous1590

mulish1600

stomachful1600

obstined1606

restive1633

obstinacious1649

opinionated1649

tenacious1656

iron-sided1659

sturdy1664

cat-witted1672

obstinated1672

unyielding1677

ruggish1688

bullet-headed1699

tough1780

pelsy1785

stupid1788

hard-set1818

thick and thin1822

stuntya1825

rigwiddie1826

indomitable1830

recalcitrant1830

set1848

mule-headed1870

muley1871

capitose1881

hard-nosed1917

tight1928

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Deut. ix. 6 Not for þy riȝtwisnessys þe lord þy god shal ȝyue to þe þis beste londe..siþþe þou ert apeple of most hard nolle [L. durissimae cervicis].

c1400 Prose Versions New Test.: Prol. (Selwyn) (1904) 12 (MED) Y se wel þat þis pepel is of an hard hed.

1574 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Job (new ed.) cxxiiii. 641/2 God..sendeth vs hartbitings to nip vs to the quicke. If they doe vs no good,..that that is bicause wee bee too hard and stubborne.

1654 Bp. J. Taylor Real Presence Ep. De. sig. A4^v If these things were not enough to perswade the People to all this matter, they must needs have weak hearts, and hard heads.

1722 L. Echard Gen. Eccl. Hist. (ed. 6) I. ii. vii. 353 Admonishing him to rebuke those sharply who were naturally hard and obstinate,..and not to suffer them to be led away with the Delusions of Judaizing Teachers.

1840 Foreign Q. Rev. Oct. 249 Harsh jagged slugs, with which a hard and obstinate bigotry vexes the ribs of men.

1889 N. Longworth Silas Jackson's Wrongs iv. 47 Jabez was as hard of head as he was strong of limb; and, when he once took a notion, nothing could get him away from it.

1905 Parl. Deb. (New S. Wales) No. 2. 92/2 Far from showing any desire to..submit loyally to the act on the statute book, there seemed to be a very hard resistance.

1978 D. McNickle Wind from Enemy Sky xxxi. 243 He has a hard head. If he sees the women all coming after him, he won't budge.

2005 W. Lee Exercise of Spirit i. 11 If our will is independent from the spirit, it may be stubborn and hard, but it is not strong in a proper way.

d. Firmly established in an undesirable condition or quality; obstinately persistent in an undesirable course of action. Cf. hardened adj. 3. rare after 18th cent.

ΚΠ

1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 12^v It is no maruel that they which ar borne in darkenesse do more and more waxe hard in their amased dulnesse, because verye fewe of them do geue themselues pliable to learne of the word of God.

1574 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Job (new ed.) lviii. 298/1 Our Lord seeth men stand so in their owne conceit, and wexe hard in their pryde.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 270 Thy Nature, did commence in sufferance, Time Hath made thee hard in't.

1712 R. Blackmore Creation vii. 350 Still, vanquish'd Atheists, will you keep the Field, And hard in Error still refuse to yeild?

1774 Lady's Mag. July 358/1 Pity as well as Justice forbid us..to abandon the criminals to grow hard in their wickedness.

1860 Illustr. Mag. 9 252/1 My heart died, when I found you so hard in sin, and so shameless in treachery.

1924 J. M. Peterkin Green Thursday 84 Rose shook her head sadly and declared that older people became hard in sin.

a. Not easily moved or affected emotionally; resistant to pity or entreaty; unfeeling, callous. Also in hard of heart. Cf. hard-hearted adj.See also to die hard at die v.¹ 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > callous or hard-hearted

hard hearteOE

steelena1000

hardOE

hard-heartedc1225

stony?c1230

yhert1340

dure1412

hardedc1425

induratec1425

stonishc1450

hardenedc1480

steely1508

flinty1536

endured1540

stiff-stomached1540

heartless1556

indured1558

flint-hearted1560

iron1561

marble1565

stone-hearted?1569

stony-hearted1569

iron-hearted1570

steel-hearted1571

rocky?1578

brawned1582

flinted1582

padded1583

obdure?1590

brawny1596

flintful1596

flint-heart1596

steeled1600

cauterized1603

indurated1604

flinty-hearted1629

ahenean1630

dedolent1633

brawny-hearteda1639

hard-grained1643

callous1647

upsitten1682

seared1684

petrified1720

calloused1746

coreless1813

pebble-hearted1816

hard-shelled1848

hard-plucked1857

steel trap1921

the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > obdurate

hardOE

induratec1425

hardenedc1480

obdureda1500

indured1558

obdurate1590

obfirmed1597

indurated1604

obduratious1672

case-hardened1836

OE Blickling Homilies 57 Manige men beoð heardre heortan.

a1225 ( Rule St. Benet (Winteney) (1888) ii. 19 Þa þe wiðe beod & hearde & prute & unȝehursume [L. duros ac superbos uel inobedientes].

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3061 Ðis weder is softe, and ðis king hard, And brekeð him eft ðat forward.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 759 Why wil thyn harde fader han thee spilt.

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 227 Harde demare, or domys mann wythe-owte mercy.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 282 There was not so heard a hart, if they had seene them but would have had pittie upon them.

1609 T. Dekker Ravens Almanacke sig. F1 He knew the hard conscience of the Usurer, straind himselfe and his friends, and prouided the money.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iv, in tr. Virgil Wks. 136 So wretched is thy Son, so hard a Mother thou.

1757 D. Garrick Isabella iv. 34 I often writ to my hard Father, but never had An Answer.

1806 R. Snowden Hist. North & South Amer. I. iii. 176 The entreaties..touched numbers of an unfeeling heart, and drew tears from many a hard eye.

1864 Ld. Tennyson Grandmother v, in Enoch Arden, etc. 116 You think I am hard and cold.

1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl iv People thought her rather hard. To one of her gossips Miss Pinnegar confessed: ‘I thought she'd have felt it more.’

1956 J. Krishnamurti Comm. on Living 59 He was charitable and not too hard of heart.

2012 National Post (Canada) (Nexis) 13 Oct. wp. 15 A nearly helpless little girl..become as hard and uncaring as her family is, a trait that seems only capable of repeating the cycle.

b. Unwilling to make concessions or to be swayed by sentiment, esp. in business dealings; practical, shrewd. Cf. hardhead n.² 2a, hard-headed adj. 3.With hard bargainer, hard dealer, cf. sense A. 22a.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > understanding > wisdom, sagacity > worldly wisdom > [adjective]

world-wiseOE

worldly-wisec1400

smart1571

shrewd1589

hard1655

sharp1697

auld-farrant1702

up to snuff1810

canny1816

savvy1826

worldly1829

lairy1846

facultized1872

sophisticated1895

hep1899

hip1904

streetwise1949

ready1967

kewl1990

1655 A. Brewer Love-sick King iii. sig. D2^v Look too't, they are hard dealers that deal in Iron.

1673 J. Ray N. Countrey Words in Coll. Eng. Words 15 A hard bargainer, spoken of a person.

1736 Post-Office Intelligence iv. 9 Take heed of the Girls at Oxford, the Men there have hard Heads, and the Women hot Tails.

1831 R. Cox Columbia River II. iv. 90 (note) They are shrewd, hard dealers, and not a whit inferior to any native of Yorkshire, Scotland, or Connaught, in driving a bargain.

1853 E. Bulwer-Lytton My Novel I. ii. iv. 108 My books don't tell me that it is a good heart that gets on in the world: it is a hard head.

1922 Herald Gospel Liberty 25 May 483/2 One simply has to use his good, hard business sense to see that such churches must be builded.

2012 Sunday Tel. (Nexis) 19 Feb. (Features section) 3 A romantic vision combined with a hard head for business have made Jonathan Saunders one of London's top fashion designers.

4. Slow-witted, unperceptive; dull, obtuse, stupid. Frequently in hard wit. Cf. hardhead n.² 2a, hard-witted adj. (a) at Compounds 4. Now rare. [In quot. 1871 after German hart (16th cent. in this sense).]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupidity, dullness of intellect > [adjective]

sloweOE

stuntc960

dullOE

hardOE

stuntlyc1000

sotc1050

dillc1175

dulta1225

simplea1325

heavy1340

astonedc1374

sheepishc1380

dull-witteda1387

lourd1390

steerishc1411

ass-likea1425

brainless?a1439

deafc1440

sluggishc1450

short-witted1477

obtuse1509

peakish1519

wearish1519

deaf, or dumb as a beetle1520

doileda1522

gross1526

headlessa1530

stulty1532

ass-headed1533

pot-headed1533

stupid?1541

sheep's head1542

doltish1543

dumpish1545

assish1548

blockish1548

slow-witted1548

blockheaded1549

surd1551

dull-headed1552

hammer-headed1552

skit-brained?1553

buzzardly1561

witless1562

log-headeda1566

assy1566

sottish1566

dastardly1567

stupidious1567

beetle-headed1570

calvish1570

bluntish1578

cod's-headed1578

grout-headed1578

bedaft1579

dull-pated1580

blate1581

buzzard-like1581

long-eared1582

dullard1583

woodena1586

duncical1588

leaden-headed1589

buzzard1592

dorbellical1592

dunstical1592

heavy-headeda1593

shallow-brained1592

blunt-witted1594

mossy1597

Bœotian1598

clay-brained1598

fat1598

fat-witted1598

knotty-pated1598

stupidous1598

wit-lost1599

barren1600

duncifiedc1600

lourdish1600

stockish1600

thick1600

booby1603

leaden-pated1603

partless1603

thin-headed1603

leaden-skulledc1604

blockhead1606

frost-brained1606

ram-headed1608

beef-witted1609

insulse1609

leaden-spirited1609

asininec1610

clumse1611

blockheadly1612

wattle-headed1613

flata1616

logger-headeda1616

puppy-headeda1616

shallow-patedc1616

thick-brained1619

half-headed1621

buzzard-blinda1625

beef-brained1628

toom-headed1629

thick-witted1634

woollen-witted1635

squirrel-headed1637

clod-pated1639

lean-souled1639

muddy-headed1642

leaden-witteda1645

as sad as any mallet1645

under-headed1646

fat-headed1647

half-witted1647

insipid1651

insulsate1652

soft-headed1653

thick-skulleda1657

muddish1658

non-intelligent1659

whey-brained1660

sap-headed1665

timber-headed1666

leather-headeda1668

out of (one's) tree1669

boobily1673

thoughtless1673

lourdly1674

logger1675

unintelligenta1676

Bœotic1678

chicken-brained1678

under-witted1683

loggerhead1684

dunderheaded1692

unintelligible1694

buffle-headed1697

crassicc1700

numbskulled1707

crassous1708

doddy-polled1708

haggis-headed1715

niddy-noddy1722

muzzy1723

pudding-headed1726

sumphish1728

pitcher-souleda1739

duncey1743

hebete1743

chuckheaded1756

dumb1756

duncely1757

imbecile1766

mutton-headed1768

chuckle-headed1770

jobbernowl1770

dowfarta1774

boobyish1778

wittol1780

staumrel1787

opaquec1789

stoopid1791

mud-headed1793

borné1795

muzzy-headed1798

nog-headed1800

thick-headed1801

gypit1804

duncish1805

lightweight1809

numbskull1814

tup-headed1816

chuckle-pate1820

unintellectuala1821

dense1822

ninnyish1822

dunch1825

fozy1825

potato-headed1826

beef-headed1828

donkeyish1831

blockheadish1833

pinheaded1837

squirrel-minded1837

pumpkin-headed1838

tomfoolish1838

dundering1840

chicken-headed1842

like a bump on a log1842

ninny-minded1849

numbheadeda1852

nincompoopish1852

suet-brained1852

dolly1853

mullet-headed1853

sodden1853

fiddle-headed1854

numb1854

bovine1855

logy1859

crass1861

unsmart1861

off his chump1864

wooden-headed1865

stupe1866

lean-minded1867

duffing1869

cretinous1871

doddering1871

thick-head1873

doddling1874

stupido1879

boneheaded1883

woolly-headed1883

leaden-natured1889

suet-headed1890

sam-sodden1891

dopey1896

turnip-headed1898

bonehead1903

wool-witted1905

peanut-headed1906

peanut-brained1907

dilly1909

torpid-minded1909

retardate1912

nitwitted1917

meat-headed1918

mug1922

cloth-headed1925

loopy1925

nitwit1928

lame-brained1929

dead from the neck up1930

simpy1932

nail-headed1936

square-headed1936

dingbats1937

pinhead1939

dim-witted1940

pea-brained1942

clueless1943

lobotomized1943

retarded1949

pointy-headed1950

clottish1952

like a stunned mullet1953

silly (or crazy) as a two-bob watch1954

out to lunch1955

pin-brained1958

dozy1959

eejity1964

out of one's tiny mind1965

doofus1967

twitty1967

twittish1969

twatty1975

twattish1976

blur1977

dof1979

goofus1981

dickheaded1991

dickish1991

numpty1992

cockish1996

OE [implied in: Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xvi. 162 He ðreade heora andgites heardnysse, and him geopenode ða halgan gewritu þe be him wæron gesette. (at hardness n. 4)].

lOE King Ælfred tr. St. Augustine Soliloquies (Vitell.) (1922) i. 43 Ða cwæð ic: Wa la wa! Hwæt þu me for hæardne lætst! Hu ne were þu ær geðafa þæt ic nanwiht ne lufode ofer wisdom, and ic wæs æac þes geðafa.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iv. ii. 136 In þe body þat coolde haþ þe maistrie þe colour is white, here is neissche and streiȝt, hard white [read wite; L. intellectus durus] and forȝeteful.

c1450 J. Metham Physiognomy in Wks. (1916) 126 (MED) Thei that haue slowe meuyng eyn in maner slepy, tho personys be off harde wyttys, slow in the begynnyng, and in the laste endyng hard.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 228 (MED) A lytill smale forhede tokenyth lytill witte..The forhede al rounde, harde witte; a longe forhede ouer mesure, a slow witte.

a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 115 (MED) He þat haues eghen lyk to þe eghen of a asse, ys vnwytty, and of hard kynde.

a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) i. f. 6 Hard wittes be hard to receiue, but sure to keepe.

1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata i. vii. 13 In configuration of Mercury..the native shall be of slow and ill utterance, of a dull and hard wit and capacity.

1772 J. Entick New Spelling Dict. (new ed.) 351/1 Stockish, hard, dull, stupid.

1871 B. Taylor tr. J. W. von Goethe Faust II. ii. iii. 183 Wise words in hard ears are but lifeless lore [Ger. Ein kluges Wort erstarrt im harten Ohr].

1896 Werner's Mag. Jan. 192/1 In Portugal [Ghirardelli says] men are melancholy, sanguine, and robust, but slow and hard of intellect.

1903 Theosophical Rev. 15 Mar. 361 When the others laughed at me for my hard understanding I thought I might make up for it by working still harder.

5. Unwilling to part with money; parsimonious, stingy, mean. Cf. hard-fisted adj. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adjective]

gnedec900

gripplea1000

fastOE

narrow-hearteda1200

narrow?c1225

straitc1290

chinchc1300

nithinga1325

scarcec1330

clama1340

hard1340

scantc1366

sparingc1386

niggardc1400

chinchy?1406

retentivea1450

niggardousa1492

niggish1519

unliberal1533

pinching1548

dry1552

nigh1555

niggardly1560

churlish1566

squeamish1566

niggardish1567

niggard-like1567

holding1569

spare1577

handfast1578

envious1580

close-handed1585

hard-handed1587

curmudgeonly1590

parsimonious?1591

costive1594

hidebound1598

penny-pinching1600

penurious1600

strait-handed1600

club-fisted1601

dry-fisted1604

fast-handed1605

fast-fingered1607

close-fisted1608

near1611

scanting1613

carkingc1620

illiberal1623

clutch-fisteda1634

hideboundeda1640

clutch-fista1643

clunch-fisted1644

unbounteous1645

hard-fisted1646

purse-bound1652

close1654

stingy1659

tenacious1676

scanty1692

sneaking1696

gripe-handed1698

narrow-souled1699

niggardling1704

snippy1727

unindulgent1742

shabby1766

neargoinga1774

cheesemongering1781

split-farthing1787

save-all1788

picked1790

iron-fisted1794

unhandsome1800

scaly1803

nearbegoing1805

tight1805

nippit1808

nipcheese1819

cumin-splitting1822

partan-handed1823

scrimping1823

scrumptious1823

scrimpy1825

meanly1827

skinny1833

pinchfisted1837

mean1840

tight-fisted1843

screwy1844

stinty1849

cheeseparing1857

skinflinty1886

mouly1904

mingy1911

cheapskate1912

picey1937

tight-assed1961

chintzy1964

tightwad1976

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 187 (MED) Uor to yeue uor god, hy byeþ harde ase an aymont.

c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. i. l. 165 Beo no men hardore þen þei whon heo beoþ avaunset.

a1425 (?a1350) Seven Sages (Galba) (1907) l. 1321 (MED) A liberal man was ane of þa; Þe toþer was hard and fast haldand.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 131 (MED) A ful thynge hit is to a kynge and vnsemely, to be harde and scarse, For noone Suche a man may loue.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 314/2 Harde, as one that is a nygarde, chiche.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 49 He was free and liberall to straungers, and heard and holdyng from his familiers and seruauntes.

1625 S. Purchas Pilgrimes II. vii. ii. 933 They are very hard and nigardly, and will giue but little.

1726 Dublin Weekly Jrnl. 23 Apr. 218/2 Every Body makes a Merit of it, when they have trick'd a Hard Niggardly Chap into the Belief of his having got a special Bargain.

1781 S. J. Pratt Sympathy ii. 29 Place wealth alone With some hard niggard, lock up all his own.

1826 M. Corbett & M. Corbett Odd Volume 247 He's unco hard too, as narrow as a penny ribbon.

1891 J. Kavanagh Nathalie xxxiv. 492 Monsieur de Sainville was a dreadful miser, a hard, stingy man.

2012 A. G. Forji Passing through World 77 Nata was so hard with money.

6. Of the pulse: difficult to compress when palpated (often regarded as a sign of high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis).

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disordered pulse or circulation > [adjective] > other pulse disorders

harda1398

rare1565

soft1571

large1612

bigeminal1877

bigeminous1881

Adams–Stokes1896

Stokes-Adams1903

quadrigeminal1906

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. vii. xxxiv. 380 Signes and tokenes þerof beþ..hard puls [L. pulsus durus], and swift and ofte smytinge.

1562 W. Bullein Comfortable Regiment v. xvi. sig. O2^v The Signes..are great dolor from the shoulders to the nethermost ribbe, punction in the side, continuall feuer, difficultie of respiring, coughing, hard pulse.

1697 J. Pechey Plain Introd. Art Physick i. 4 The signs of an hot and moist Temperament, are a large Pulse, but not frequent nor hard [etc.].

1772 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 62 456 In ten minutes pulse 80, fuller and harder.

1830 J. Baxter Libr. Agric. & Hort. Knowl. 287 The pulse..is hard and full, not weak and oppressed.

1997 R. Porter Greatest Benefit to Mankind xviii. 583 This produces the ‘hard pulse’ familiar to clinicians and brings on shortness of breath and angina pains.

a. Originally of money: in the form of coins as opposed to banknotes, bills, etc. Later also: designating coins, banknotes, or other objects or documents viewed as having exchangeable value, as opposed to unsecured paper credit. Frequently in hard cash. Cf. hard currency n. 1.

ΚΠ

1687 C. Sedley Bellamira v. 60 I'll give thee fifty Guineas hard Money in hand.

1706 G. Farquhar Recruiting Officer iv. ii. 51 Your Mother has a hundred Pound in hard Money lying..in the hands of a Mercer.

1759 H. Bouquet Let. 1 Sept. in S. K. Stevens & D. H. Kent Papers H. Bouquet (1940) Ser. 21652. 229 Please to apply to M^r. Hunter for hard Cash or make the best of your Paper, When I get nearer the Chests I will send you Metal.

1779 A. Adams in J. Adams & A. Adams Familiar Lett. (1876) 365 Corn is sold at four dollars, hard money, per bushel.

1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd II. v. viii. 190 We were to get hard cash to meet a run.

1882 R. Bithell Counting-house Dict. Hard cash,..often popularly used to denote bank notes, and other documents of undoubted value, in contradistinction to mere book debts, or commercial rights.

1939 J. Fante Ask the Dust iii. 37 I can't give you any hard cash, kid. But I'll see that you get all the milk you need.

1999 A. Hurley tr. G. A. Baralt Buena Vista 86 Some workers never received hard payment, whether legal tender or riles.

2006 C. Frazier Thirteen Moons ii. vi. 109 I went inside and collected all my savings—hard money and scrip both—from their various hiding places.

b. U.S. Politics. Of donated money: subject to limitation and regulation under laws governing political-campaign financing. Chiefly in hard money.

ΚΠ

1972 Washington Post 12 Apr. a8/3 It's the difference between soft money and hard money. On state campaigns you can use union treasury money. On federal campaigns, you can't.

1980 N.Y. Times 8 Oct. b6/1 At the national and state levels combined, the committee is constrained by law from giving direct contributions, known as ‘hard money’, of more than $5,000 to any single candidate.

1996 Time 24 June 26/1 Direct gifts to candidates, called hard money, is strictly limited.

2000 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 9 Nov. 23 The attempt to distinguish between ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ donations is already the subject of widespread scorn.

2011 C. J. Nelson Grant Park i. 14 Political commercials that explicitly advocated for the support or defeat of a candidate..had to be paid for with hard money.

a. Of a magnetizable material: highly resistant to being demagnetized (as hard iron).

ΚΠ

a1737 J. Hutchinson Glory or Gravity: 2nd Pt. in Philos. & Theol. Wks. (1749) XI. 341 Soft Iron will not attract the Filings of Iron after it is touched, but hard Iron will.

1801 Encycl. Brit. Suppl. II. 149/2 When the north pole of a weak but hard magnet is set on the north pole of a strong one, it must certainly repel part of the fluid to the other end, and thus it must weaken the magnet.

1852 Jrnl. Franklin Inst. July 68 A very hard magnet,..when under the influence of another of double its power, was not sensibly affected either way.

1881 J. C. Maxwell Treat. Electr. & Magnetism (ed. 2) II. 44 Iron which retains its magnetic properties when removed from the magnetic field is called Hard iron.

1958 Billboard 17 Feb. 30/4 These oxides are magnetically hard.

1993 L. S. Lerner Physics for Scientists & Engineers II. ix. 763 One way to make a permanent magnet is to heat a bar of magnetically hard material to redness and then let it cool in the presence of a strong magnet.

2009 B. D. Cullity & C. D. Graham Introd. Magn. Materials (ed. 2) i. 18 Sometimes the same material may be either magnetically soft or hard, depending on its physical condition.

2013 J. T. Shipman et al. Introd. Physical Sci. (ed. 13) viii. 213 Hard iron is used for permanent magnets such as bar magnets.

b. Chemistry. Designating (a) an acid (in the sense ‘electron acceptor’: acid n. 1a(b)) characterized by low polarizability, small atomic or ionic radius, and a high positive oxidation state; (b) a base (in the sense ‘electron donor’: base n.¹ 14a) characterized by low polarizability, small atomic or ionic radius, and high electronegativity.

ΚΠ

1963 R. G. Pearson in Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 85 3533/2 It will be convenient to divide bases into two categories, those that are polarizable, or ‘soft’, and those that are nonpolarizable, or ‘hard’. [Note The descriptive adjectives..were suggested by Professor D. H. Busch of Ohio State University.]

1985 Internat. Jrnl. Nucl. Med. & Biol. 12 115 It was presumed that hard acids of trivalence, quadrivalence and pentavalence would replace Ca in the Ca salts of hard bases.

1995 D. M. P. Mingos Essent. Inorg. Chem. (1997) 4 Hard bases such as nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine ligands bind more strongly to hard acids such as Al³⁺, Co³⁺, Fe⁺, etc.

2003 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100 3580/1 These ligands are ideal for binding Fe³⁺, with three anionic oxygens (hard bases in the Pearson classification) and one neutral nitrogen.

9. Of knowledge, etc.: irrefutable, reliable, based on solid evidence.

a. Of a fact or truth: incapable of being denied or explained away (though unpleasant or inconvenient); awkward; irrefutable.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > [adjective]

wislyc1000

sickera1225

firm1377

unfailingc1400

decided1439

suredc1450

sure1470

infirmat1487

delivered1499

fast and sure1528

undeceivablea1535

undoubteda1535

certainc1540

true (also good, sure) as touch1590

constant1611

positivea1616

square1632

formal1635

unapocryphal1644

inconditional1646

inconditionate1654

undeceitful1673

unshakeable1677

unproblematic1683

unprecarious1688

unerring1697

safe1788

hard1791

unproblematical1792

decisive1800

dead-on1889

hands down1900

1791 P. Webster Polit. Ess. 357 They will..grow willing to hearken to some plan that is admissible by the hard facts which stand round them.

1826 J. Penrose Treat. Evid. Script. Miracles ii. 26 To refer the miracles..not to God, but to the power of evil spirits, was only a fetch..to get rid of the force of a hard truth.

1874 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 1st Ser. 292 Hawthorne..sought refuge from the hard facts of commonplace life by retiring into a visionary world.

1918 Atlantic Monthly Sept. 318/1 He had offered her hard truth..and it had proved too hard for her.

1956 A. H. Compton Atomic Quest 311 The hard fact is that war, like business, reduces to a question of gain versus cost.

2012 Independent 24 July 25/2 They choose not to understand..why crime is rising. It's down to a hard fact: nobody has anything to do.

b. Employing quantitative, objective, or rigorous analysis or testing; amenable to precise mathematical treatment or experimental verification or refutation; esp. in hard science. Cf. soft adj. 30b.

ΚΠ

1858 Jrnl. Soc. Arts 29 Oct. 704/1 The Manchester Athenæum was the first association of the kind which recognised the propriety of educating the people by means of attractive literature... not by cramming philosophy and hard sciences into them.

1907 Dublin Jrnl. Med. Sci. 124 432 In the field of Preventive Medicine more than anywhere else are our practical methods based on hard science.

1968 Physics Bull. Oct. 351/2 One of the striking features of the present time is the penetration of ‘hard’ methods (quantitative, physical analyses) into subjects which were hitherto ‘soft’ (descriptive, non-numerical).

1999 L. Schiebinger Has Feminism Changed Sci.? ix. 160 We are told repeatedly that the physical sciences are hard and that the life sciences, like the humanities and social sciences, are soft.

2009 Financial Times 27 Nov. 13/1 Economists have always been keen to borrow principles from the hard sciences.

c. Of information, news, etc.: accurate, reliable, substantiated; objective. Later also: factual, informative (rather than primarily entertaining or light-hearted).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > truthfulness, veracity > [adjective] > of information: factual, real

hard1860

1860 Recreative Sci. 1 229/1 The unprofessional observer..must descend to hard facts, and forget for a while the sublime suggestions of a system of mechanism that throbs like a living creature.

1914 B. Russell Our Knowl. External World iii. 70 I mean by ‘hard’ data those which resist the solvent influence of critical reflection.

1938 E. Waugh Scoop ii. i. 117 There isn't any hard news... You can't get a word out of the Government.

1948 Newsweek 16 Aug. 51/1 The bulk of the broadcast time is given over to so-called ‘hard news’—that is, straight newscasts of what is going on in the world and in the United States.

1963 Ann. Reg. 1962 520 Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature..I directed that our surveillance be stepped up.

2004 Smithsonian Nov. 32/3 A social scientist..was even trying to determine if there is a biological influence on why some people prefer comedies to dramas, hard news to fluff.

d. Designating science fiction dealing with technological advances which do not contravene currently accepted scientific laws or principles; of or characteristic of such science fiction.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > science fiction, etc. > [adjective] > types of

hard1957

space-fictional1963

1957 P. S. Miller in Astounding Sci. Fiction Feb. 143/1 It is also very characteristic of the best ‘hard’ science fiction of its day.

1970 ‘W. Atheling’ More Issues at Hand 99 ‘Hard’ science fiction, in which a conscientious attempt to be faithful to already known facts..was the substrate on which the story was to be built.

1977 P. Brigg in J. D. Olander & H. Greenberg A. C. Clarke i. 42 What differentiates Rendezvous with Rama from its sources is the beautiful cohesion of all the ‘hard’ aspects of the story.

1988 Locus Apr. 25/2 In typical hard sf style, there are plenty of ideas to interest the reader.

1995 Economist 2 Sept. 120/2 Such hard writers put great stress on creating plausible worlds and plausible aliens.

2004 N.Y. Times Guide Essent. Knowledge 373/2 Campbell's ‘hard’ approach to science fiction insisted on scientific plausibility.

10. Business and Finance.

a. Originally U.S. Of a share, commodity, etc.: offered at a high price; (of a price) high, and showing no downward tendency. Cf. firm adj. 7a, stiff adj. 10. Now rare.In quot. 1838 perhaps passing into the sense ‘hard to come by; scarce’.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > fluctuation in price > steadiness in price > [adjective]

hard1838

steady1857

firm1883

stiff1883

1838 D. Webster Let. 11 May in Private Corr. (1857) II. 37 Money is very hard, all along the coast, from here [sc. Washington, D.C.] North.

1892 Daily News 11 Feb. 2/5 In American cotton..prices are reported harder.

1899 Electr. Rev. 24 Nov. 856/2 Provincial shares are hard.

1958 Pop. Sci. Mar. 102/2 Opel prices are hard. You can dicker on a Chevy, De Soto, or..a Buick. But not on an Opel. Reason: They're scarce.

1978 Times 15 Sept. 24/1 Leader-stocks were generally off the bottom by the close, leaving..Unilever a penny harder at 565p.

b. Of a market: characterized by high demand and low supply, resulting in high prices. Cf. soft adj. 26b.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > trading conditions > [adjective] > specific state of market

simplea1387

glutted1714

heavy1831

saturated1848

soft1849

hard1880

firm1887

market clearing1950

demand-led1981

1880 Brit. Trade Jrnl. May Suppl. 15/2 The market is strong and American advices report a hard market.

1892 Belford's Monthly Oct. 768 When the repeal took effect an abnormal demand arose from these distributors, which, acting upon an already ‘hard’ market, forced the sharp advance referred to.

1921 Coal Rev. 20 July 13/2 Every coal dealer in Chicago would prefer to sell coal now at the present reasonable price than to get a higher figure later under the pressure of a hard market.

1968 E. H. P. Brown Pay & Profits ii. 22 These are the times of a soft market environment, in the most active years of the trade cycle, and the more recent years of sustained full employment. The times of hard market environment may likewise bear equally upon both elements.

2010 Reinsurance Mag. (Nexis) 3 Sept. 33 One hard area is the D&O market for financial institutions but, when you get a hard market, the capital flows there quickly and it doesn't stay hard for long.

11. Military. Of a nuclear site or structure: exceptionally robust; spec. designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Also of a nuclear missile: designed to be fired from a silo of this kind. Cf. hardened adj. 4.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > defence > [adjective] > proof against weapons

cannon-proof1588

pistol-proof1590

sword-proofa1593

musket-proof1603

arrow-proof1612

shot-free1616

bomb-proof1702

splinter-proof1834

bullet-proof1856

metal proof1906

hard1958

1958 R. D. Bowers in Air Univ. Q. Rev. 10 91 It would be useful to know how the cost of a hard base compares to that of a soft base if they have equal measures of merit (cost per surviving missile).

1962 Listener 29 Mar. 547/2 The American development of missiles such as Minuteman which can be fired from strongly protected pits in the ground—the so-called hard missile sites—as well as the Polaris submarines.

1970 Bull. Atomic Scientists June 100/2 The strategic stability provided by missiles in hard silos.

1975 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) Oct. 6/1 There are a number of hard military targets other than missile silos..that nuclear weapons may not be effective against unless they are accurate.

1988 Internat. Stud. Q. 32 18 ‘Soft’ cities and industrial targets that are attacked in a countervalue strike are more vulnerable than ‘hard’ missile sites.

2006 J. E. Goodby At Borderline of Armageddon vi. 110 He thought there were 1,500 to 2,000 Soviet hard targets which a U.S. counterforce attack should be able to destroy.

II. Difficult; not easy; requiring much effort.

12.

a. Difficult to do or accomplish; not easy; full of obstacles; laborious; troublesome, awkward.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective] > laborious or toilsome

soreOE

workfulOE

hardOE

torc1175

beswinkfulc1230

heavya1325

sweatyc1374

travailousa1382

laboriousa1393

laborousc1405

winful1443

painfulc1480

toilous1530

operousa1538

drudging1548

travailsome1549

laboursome1551

moilingc1566

toilsome?1570

toilful1573

sweating1592

insudate1609

sweatfula1618

moliminous1656

operose1659

swinking1693

schleppy1978

OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) iv. v. 268 Þa þuhte me swiðe heard & uneaðe, þæt seo wise wære gelyfed [L. ualde durum uidetur, ut credatur res esse], þe nænig man geseon ne mihte.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 2330 (MED) Tho made him love an hard eschange To sette his herte and to beginne Thing which he mihte nevere winne.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7225 (MED) Bot herd [a1400 Gött. hard, a1400 Frf. harde] it es to stand again Þe wijf þat fines noght to frain.

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 227 Harde yn..warkynge, difficilis.

a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) vi. §4. 22 Fulhard it is to be turnyd enterly til the bryghthed and the pees of godis lyght.

1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 97 It is as harde, and laborus, to get the Longitude.

1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. to Rdr. sig. A4 So hard a thing it is to please all.

1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler ii. 60 I see now it is a harder matter to catch a Trout then a Chub.

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 36. ⁋8 How hard a thing it is for those to keep Silence who have the Use of Speech.

1792 J. Hurdis Sir Thomas More ii. 51 I will endeavour to repeal my fault, By bidding him who loves me, no hard task, To find a wife more worthy.

1833 J. Abbott Young Christian v. 92 It is harder for him to act independently now, on a subject which affects his standing in the estimation of his companions.

1876 J. B. Mozley Serm. preached Univ. of Oxf. iv. 90 Often..what we must do as simply right..is just the hardest thing to do.

1916 C. J. Marshall Diary 6 Apr. in Gen. Mag. & Hist. Chron. (Univ. Pennsylvania) (1942) Apr. 317 It is much harder to get things or to get around here than it is in London.

1959 Rotarian Mar. 54/2 It was hard to take the shrieking and shouting, and the noises from the seclusion rooms.

1980 J. B. Enright in S. Boorstein Transpersonal Psychotherapy (ed. 2) xvi. 277 Every argument a client brings up about how hard change is, becomes an argument for acceptance.

2011 M. Roffey With Kisses of his Mouth 140 It was hard to get a clean eco-nappy back on.

b. With to and infinitive. Of the object of an action: not readily susceptible to the specified action. Formerly also with †of or †in and a noun expressing the action.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adjective]

arvethc885

uneathOE

arvethlichc1000

evilc1175

hardc1175

deara1225

derfa1225

illc1330

wickeda1375

uneasy1398

difficul?a1450

difficile?1473

difficulta1527

unready1535

craggy1582

spiny1604

tough1619

uphill1622

shrewda1626

spinousa1638

scabrous1646

spinose1660

rugged1663

cranka1745

tight1764

thraward1818

nasty1828

upstream1847

awkward1860

pricklyc1862

bristling1871

sticky1871

rocky1873

dodgy1898

challengeful1927

solid1943

ball-busting1944

challenging1975

the mind > attention and judgement > bad taste > unseemliness or unbecomingness > [adjective] > unpleasant

harda1535

rebarbative1892

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6326 & tatt iss swiþe strang. & harrd To forþenn her onn eorþe.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 2 Macc. xii. 21 It was vnable..hard in goynge to, for streytnesse of places.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 16992 His pine was hardir [Vesp. herder] for to drei.

a1450 (c1412) T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum (Harl. 4866) (1897) l. 825 (MED) Paiement is hard to gete adayes.

a1535 T. More Hist. Richard III in Wks. (1557) 45/1 Harde it is to wraste oute.

1596 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent (rev. ed.) 481 Crafty counseiles..be hard in the handeling [L. tractatu difficilia], and wofull in the winding vp.

1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler viii. 168 He is a very subtle fish and hard to be caught.

1661 J. Glanvill Vanity of Dogmatizing ix. 85 Gravity, which makes great bodies hard of Remove.

1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Radish They are hard of digestion, causing nauseating eructations.

1768 L. Sterne Sentimental Journey II. 112 I was hard to please.

1848 H. W. Haygarth Recoll. Bush Life Austral. v. 47 The wool nearest the skin..is the hardest to cut, but the most weighty and valuable.

1864 G. Rawlinson Five Great Monarchies (1882) II. ix. 44 The duration of a single unbroken empire continuously for 1306 (or 1360) years..must be admitted to be a thing hard of belief, if not actually incredible.

1923 Granta 2 Mar. At Oxford the Honours School of English claims that its ‘first’ is harder to win than a ‘first’ in any other School there.

1976 Daily Mirror 16 July 5/7 Carter will be a hard man to beat.

2004 F. Lawrence Not on Label 105 Figures are hard to come by, but the baking industry reckons that half of the big retailers' in-store bakeries are using ‘prebaked’ dough.

c. Of a person: not easily able to do something or capable of doing something. Formerly also with †in. Now only in hard of hearing at Phrases 5, and phrases modelled on this.

ΚΠ

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Num. xx. 10 Here ȝe rebel & hard to byleue [a1425 L.V. vnbileueful; L. increduli], wheþer of þis stoon water to ȝow we mowe castyn out?

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 9326 Men sua herd of vnder-stand [Gött. Men sua hard at to vnderstand, Trin. Cambr. So harde men to vndirstonde].

1422 in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt Bk. London Eng. (1931) 144 (MED) Þe world was hard of taking of money yn þat ȝer with þe Crafte of Breweres, For her Custumers paid hem not well.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) cxxvi. 464 We ar hard of byleue that this shall be.

1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 8 If one bee harde in conceiuing, they pronounce him a dowlte,..if without speach, a Cypher.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 191 Of slowe capacitie, and hard to learne and conceyue.

1613 T. Lodge tr. Seneca Epist. in tr. Seneca Wks. (1614) 406 To those that are dull and hard of vnderstanding, or long time besieged with euill customes, the rust of their mindes must be rubbed off.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iii. x. 137 He..found the Natives..very hard to believe that the Fact was possible.

1764 W. Dodd Visitor I. xiii. 93 They had forsaken him. And were hard of belief, when they they heard of his resurrection.

1817 M. Edgeworth Ormond in Harrington & Ormond III. xxiv. 150 You are mighty hard of understanding this morning, Sheelah.

1858 C. Dickens Let. 20 Aug. (1995) VIII. 629 I have been very hard to sleep too, and last night I was all but sleepless.

1959 ‘H. MacDiarmid’ Burns Today & Tomorrow 126 All of these readers and writers can only be described as hard-of-thinking—which is the main problem confronting our Movement.

1990 T. R. Young Drama of Social Life 348 Riots, too, are a form of language in which the voiceless get the attention of those who are ‘hard of listening’.

2005 Weekly World News 14 Nov. 2/3 My grandma is kinda hard-of-seeing.

13. Difficult to understand, answer, or explain. Cf. hard word n. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > depth, obscurity > [adjective]

higheOE

dighela1000

deepc1000

darkOE

starkOE

dusk?c1225

subtle1340

dimc1350

subtilea1393

covert1393

mystica1398

murka1400

cloudyc1400

hard?c1400

mistyc1400

unclearc1400

diffuse1430

abstractc1450

diffused?1456

exquisitec1460

obnubilous?a1475

obscure?a1475

covered1484

intricate?a1500

nice?a1500

perplexeda1500

difficilea1513

difficult1530

privy1532

smoky1533

secret1535

abstruse?1549

difficul1552

entangled1561

confounded1572

darksome1574

obnubilate1575

enigmatical1576

confuse1577

mysteriousa1586

Delphic1598

obfuscatea1600

enfumed1601

Delphicala1603

obstruse1604

abstracted1605

confused1611

questionable1611

inevident1614

recondite1619

cryptic1620

obfuscated1620

transcendent1624

Delphian1625

oraculous1625

enigmatic1628

recluse1629

abdite1635

undilucidated1635

clouded1641

benighted1647

oblite1650

researched1653

obnubilated1658

obscurative1664

tenebrose1677

hyperbyssal1691

condite1695

diffusive1709

profound1710

tenebricose1730

oracular1749

opaque1761

unenlightening1768

darkling1795

offuscating1798

unrecognizable1817

tough1820

abstrusive1848

obscurant1878

out-of-focus1891

unplumbable1895

inenubilable1903

non-transparent1939

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) (1850) 2 Pet. iii. 16 Epistlis..in whiche ben summe harde thinges in vndirstondinge.]

?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) v. pr. iii. l. 4437 Now am I confounded by a more harde doute þan I was.

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Summoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 83 The text of holy writ..is hard to yow, as I suppose.

a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 118 Knouleche of many harde questiouns.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxxii[i]. 16 Then thought I to vnderstonde this, but it was to harde for me.

1563 T. Gale Certaine Wks. Chirurg. iv. To Rdr sig. Aaa.iiii The hard names of medicines by oft reding will be persed.

1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion To Rdr. sig. A^v Then hast thou the Illustration of this learned Gentleman, my friend, to explaine euery hard matter of history.

a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) I. 218 Distinctions,..By b'ing too nicely overstrain'd and vext, Have made the Comment harder than the Text.

1740 D. Hume Treat. Human Nature App. 305 I must plead the privilege of a sceptic, and confess, that this difficulty is too hard for my understanding.

1779–80 E. Capell Notes & Var. Readings Shakespeare (new ed.) II. 148/1 Arm'd with this explanation of the only hard term in it, whoso pleases to examine the speech..will perceive in it..clearness and consistency.

1843 Merry's Museum 3 190/2 I have flattered myself that it is a hoax; but if it is not, I must confess it is the hardest puzzle I have seen for some time.

1888 J. W. Burgon Lives Twelve Good Men II. xii. 364 The men were encouraged to propose difficult texts of Scripture,—to ask hard questions,—to ventilate their individual doubts and perplexities.

1920 E. C. Wooley Handbk. Composition (rev. ed.) i. 33 Mathematics is my hardest subject.

1975 Canad. Math. Bull. 18 446 His rival was trying his power on the hard problems of reduction theory.

2008 Independent 29 Dec. 32/5 What can teachers do to get children interested in Shakespeare if they find it too hard?

14. Of a person: difficult to deal with, control, or contend against. In early use chiefly in †too hard for: too much for (a person), more than (a person) can manage (obsolete). Cf. hard case n. 3, hard ticket n. at Compounds 4, etc.Sometimes merging with or influenced by sense A. 2a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > types of difficulty > [adjective] > difficult or intractable (of things)

wickc1330

riotous1340

wickeda1352

untreatablec1374

frowarda1400

inobedient1495

stubborn?1518

unwieldya1538

unruly1548

wieldlessa1560

hard1560

untoward1566

tickle1570

churlish1577

unwieldsome1579

rebellious1587

disobedient1588

unframeable1593

unwilling1593

untractable1601

unmanageable1606

intractable1607

surly1609

unwedgeablea1616

dogged1627

uncontrollable1648

obdurate1651

morose1652

uncompliant1659

sullen1678

unpliant1716

ungovernable1773

sulky1867

intractile1880

unwieldly1881

bunglesome1915

1560 Bible (Geneva) 2 Sam. iii. 39 And I am this day weake and newely anointed King: and these men the sonnes of Zeruiáh be to hard for me: y^e Lord reward the doer of euil according to his wickednes.

1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 258 Boy. What then, do you see? Lad. I, our way to be gone. Boy. You are too hard for mee.

1605 R. Verstegan Restit. Decayed Intelligence ii. 32 The hollander was too hard for the frenchman, & threw him down.

1751 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 21 Jan. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1664 A man who is master of his matter will, with inferior parts, be too hard..for a man of better parts, who knows his subject but superficially.

1757 G. Shelvocke, Jr. Shelvocke's Voy. round World (ed. 2) xi. 330 If we found the enemy too hard for us.

a1848 G. F. Ruxton Life in Far West (1849) iv. 107 La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered as ‘hard a case’ as any of the mountaineers then present.

1870 A. W. M'Clure Lives Chief Fathers New Eng. I. ix. 256 It was about to be ascertained that solid ‘round-heads’ were much too hard for empty ‘rattle-heads’.

1920 L. J. Miln Feast of Lanterns xxii. 158 ‘Be good to her.’ The last words were a plea, and a little anxious. Mary Worthing knew how hard girls could be.

1981 L. R. Banks Writing on Wall iv. 32 She could even keep the hard boys in order.

2013 Chronicle (Toowoomba, Queensland) (Nexis) 11 Sept. 21 It's pretty tiring if you play a hard team the day before and then play another hard team on the Sunday.

III. Harsh, severe, arduous, unpleasant.

15.

a. Difficult to bear; requiring great endurance; causing or involving (undue) suffering; cruel; grim.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > ill-treatment > cruelty > [adjective]

wrothc893

retheeOE

hateleOE

grim971

hardOE

cruel1297

despitousc1374

savagea1393

fadea1400

hetera1400

keen?c1425

vengeablec1430

despiteful1488

unmanfula1500

despiteous?1510

cruent1524

felonish1530

Herodian1581

felly1583

savaged1583

Neronian1598

savagious1605

Dionysian1608

black-blooded1771

atrocious1772

Neroic1851

Neronic1864

OE Andreas (1932) 1562 Us seo wyrd scyðeð, heard ond hetegrim.

OE Beowulf (2008) 166 Swa fela fyrena feond mancynnes..oft gefremede, heardra hynða.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1442 Harrd. & hefiȝ pine inoh.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 4340 Þe senatour in gret þoȝt was sone In such hard [c1425 Harl. ard] cas as him biuel.

a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 4539 Þan sal he..grevusly þam tourment, Þat til his law wille noght assent, And do þam to hard dede at þe last.

1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 104 [He] had grete sorow in his corage whan he was aduertised of these harde tydinges.

1544 A. Cope Hist. Anniball & Scipio xliv. f. 80^v In all the tyme of this great ruyne and hard fortune, the hertes, the vertue and courage of the Romaynes remayned styl stedfast hole and vnmouable.

1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. ii. 102 Fearing hard measure, if they should be carried unto the king.

1683 T. Gipps 3 Serm. iii. 68 The Subjects Circumstances were so hard, their Condition so miserable, where 'twas worth their while to hazard their Lives and Fortunes by Civil Discord.

a1770 J. Jortin Serm. (1771) II. ii. 29 We then think our condition particularly hard.

1825 W. Hone Every-day Bk. (1826) I. 218 It is a little hard, indeed, that I should have these fine compliments and severe reproaches at the same time.

1893 F. C. Selous Trav. S.-E. Afr. 109 The life these people lead is a hard one.

1909 Chatterbox 54/1 Remember also the ancient deeds of our forefathers, who, in the hardest extremity, yet always prevailed.

1946 G. Hopkins tr. F. Mauriac Woman of Pharisees xii. 165 He began to snivel, and to say that it was very hard that after a lifetime of work for others, he should find himself threatened in his old age.

2007 L. Dallaglio It's in Blood iv. 66 I found it too hard to see my parents broken-hearted.

b. Of the weather, a season, etc.: harsh in its effects; severe, violent.In hard winter, hard frost, often with the notion that the ground is frozen solid.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > cold weather > [adjective] > intensely cold, freezing, or frosty > frosty > keen or hard (of frost)

hardOE

ringing1824

strict1893

OE Riddle 40 54 Heardra ic eom ond caldra þonne se hearda forst, hrim heorugrimma.

lOE Prognostics (Hatton) (2007) 496 Gif seo midwinter bið on wodnesdæg, þonne bið heard winter [L. hiems dura & aspera].

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1879) VII. 447 Þo was an hard [L. asperrima] wynter, strong honger, deeþ of men.

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 524 (MED) Sesounez schal yow never sese..Ne hete, ne no harde forst, umbre ne droȝþe.

c1450 Treat. Fishing in J. McDonald et al. Origins of Angling (1963) 139 Yn þe most herde & colde wedyr he is soyr greved.

1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Harde winter or verye colde, sæuissima Hyems.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 946 It was such an extreame hard frost out of all season.

1605 Bp. J. Hall Medit. & Vowes II. §78 Winter comes on softly, first by colde dewes, then hoare frostes, vntill at last it descende to the hardest weather of all.

1686 London Gaz. No. 2199/4 With a hard gale or Wind at S.S.W.

1700 S. L. tr. C. Schweitzer Relation Voy. in tr. C. Frick & C. Schweitzer Relation Two Voy. E.-Indies 299 A very hard Storm fell upon us in the way.

1755 N. Magens Ess. Insurances II. 98 Any Thing that falls over board [or] is spoiled or damaged by hard Weather.

1842 Naut. Mag. & Naval Chron. No. 8. 517 Hard gales from E.N.E. with constant rain.

1884 Nonconformist & Independent 16 Oct. 1006/1 We shall have a ‘hard’ winter.

1905 Kynoch Jrnl. Jan. 46 When the natural food is exhausted, in hard weather a few handfuls of small corn..are scattered about.

1951 E. Welty in H. Brickell O. Henry Prize Stories of 1951 21 Springing up..like all the green in the world after a hard rain.

2001 M. Spooner Daniel's Walk iii. 101 Plants were scarce, except for sage and bunchgrass, which seemed to love the hard climate.

c. Of a period of time or (later) labour: characterized by adversity or hardship; gruelling; (in weakened sense) arduous, tiring.In quot. OE with reference to the Day of Judgement.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > [adjective] > full of hardship

hardOE

soreOE

starkOE

difficult1562

flinty1613

rugged1663

rough1709

rude1735

tough1890

OE Crist III 1064 Ðonne sio byman stefen..ond se egsan þrea, ond se hearda dæg ond seo hea rod..folcdryht wera biforan bonnað.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iii. l. 980 It hath be sen and felt fulofte, The harde time after the softe.

1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 60 The time muste be taken as hit cometh, is hit hard or softe.

1574 tr. Life 70. Archbishopp Canterbury sig. Aiiij^v The hard and troublesome tymes off Queene Marie.

1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata iv. 259 Generally it shall be a turbulent and hard year both for man and beast.

?1706 E. Hickeringill Priest-craft: 2nd Pt. viii. 73 Money is Money, a very necessary Commodity in Hard times.

?1752 Lilliputian Mag. 117 The bed you lie on seems soft, after a hard day's work, as your down beds.

1827 P. Cunningham Two Years New S. Wales II. xxviii. 200 Three hard weeks of toilsome trudging over rugged hills.

1890 W. E. H. Lecky Hist. Eng. 18th Cent. VII. 14 1793 was eminently a ‘hard year’, and great numbers of labourers were out of employment.

1916 Caterpillar Times Mar. 1/2 The hard harvest season takes all the ‘work’ out of horses.

1966 R.W. Richmond & R.W. Mardock Nation moving West 308 Times were hard, and without a man on the farm, difficulties were magnified.

2006 New Woman Dec. 104/1 After a hard day at work, curl up in your fave armchair..and just read a book for a half an hour.

d. Of wear or use: rough and continuous, heavy.

ΚΠ

1764 M. C. Each Sex in their Humour I. i. 11 His stockings had received, either from time or hard wear, no inconsiderable damage.

1841 B. Hall Patchwork (ed. 2) III. xi. 293 The friction against rocks..is often fatal to a hempen cable in a few minutes; but the same friction, after weeks of hard use, only slightly polishes a few links of the chain.

1897 Westm. Gaz. 22 Apr. 3/1 A tailor costume destined for hard wear.

1930 Theatre Arts Monthly Jan. p. viii/3 (advt.) The improved Nat Lewis leotards. Lovely, yet sturdily constructed for hard usage.

1955 Househ. Guide & Almanac (News of World) 199/2 Faulty workmanship, hard wear, or warping may all help to create a badly fitted window or door.

2004 VW Motoring Jan. 41/1 Badly kerbed, scuffed or generally shabby wheels point to hard use and lack of owner care.

16.

a. Of a person: harsh or severe in dealing with another or others; strict in rule or discipline. See also Phrases 1a.In Old English frequently with the person affected in the dative; in later use sometimes with to.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > strictness > [adjective] > severe or stern

wrothc893

retheeOE

stithc897

starkOE

sternOE

hardOE

dangerous?c1225

sharpa1340

asperc1374

austerec1384

shrewda1387

snella1400

sternful?a1400

unsterna1400

dour?a1425

piquant1521

tetrical1528

tetric1533

sorea1535

rugged?1548

severe1548

hard-handed1611

Catonian1676

tetricous1727

heavy1849

acerbic1853

stiff1856

Catonic1883

tough1905

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xxv. 24 Hlaford ic wat þæt ðu eart heard mann [L. quia homo durus es], þu ripst þær ðu ne seowe.

OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.iv) anno 1043 Heo wæs æror þam cynge hire suna swiðe heard.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 316 Beoð large toward ham þach ȝe narewe beon & harde to ow seoluen.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 28743 Sin crist is buxum to vnbin[d], Qui sal man preist ouer hard find.

a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 14 (MED) Be not harde to him þat is tempted, but ȝeue him comfort.

1580 J. Stow Chrons. of Eng. 143 He was hard to his mother, bycause she was hard to him in his minoritie.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 84 Heavie and hard neighbours to the Church in Judea.

1795 R. Anderson Brit. Poets II. 680/1 They describe the misery of people under hard masters.

1839 T. Wright Polit. Songs Eng. 57 (note) He would have been hard to them..as they have deserved.

1894 Bull. Pharmacy June 241/2 Dame Care is a hard teacher for pleasure-loving lads.

1907 E. Wharton Fruit of Tree (1914) xxi. 319 There were moments when Justine thought Amherst hard to Bessy, as she suspected that he had once been hard to his mother.

2007 P. Crerand Never turn Other Cheek iv. 66 He could be a hard taskmaster.

b. Of actions, speech, etc.: characterized by (undue) harshness or severity; cruel; tough. Cf. hard word n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adjective]

heavyc825

grimc900

strongeOE

hardeOE

drearyOE

eileOE

sweerOE

deara1000

bitterOE

tartc1000

smartOE

unridec1175

sharp?c1225

straitc1275

grievousc1290

fellc1330

shrewda1387

snella1400

unsterna1400

vilea1400

importunea1425

ungainc1425

thrallc1430

peisant1483

sore?a1513

weighty1540

heinous?1541

urgent?1542

asperous?1567

dure1567

spiny1586

searching1590

hoara1600

vengible1601

flinty1613

tugging1642

atrocious1733

uncannya1774

severe1774

stern1830

punishing1833

hefty1867

solid1916

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > harshness or severity > [adjective]

heavyc825

retheeOE

stithc897

hardeOE

starkOE

sternOE

dangerous?c1225

sharp?c1225

unsoftc1275

sturdy1297

asperc1374

austerec1384

shrewda1387

snella1400

sternful?a1400

dour?a1425

thrallc1430

piquant1521

tetrical1528

tetric1533

sorea1535

rugged?1548

severe1548

iron1574

harsh1579

strict1600

angry1650

Catonian1676

Draconic1708

tetricous1727

alkaline1789

acerbic1853

stiff1856

acerbate1869

acerbitous1870

Draconian1876

Catonic1883

eOE (Kentish) Glosses to Proverbs of Solomon (Vesp. D.vi) in U. Kalbhen Kentische Glossen (2003) 135 Sermo durus [suscitat furorem] : heard spec.

OE Blickling Homilies 95 Þonne biþ þam eft heard dom geteod.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1472 Þe rihhte dom iss starrc. & harrd.

a1350 ( in R. H. Robbins Hist. Poems 14th & 15th Cent. (1959) 19 (MED) Lutel wes ys þoht of þe harde iugement þat him wes bysoht.

c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. i. l. 122 God shal take veniaunce..Wel harder and grettere..Þan euere he dude on ophni.

1529 T. More Supplyc. Soulys i. f. iiii We geue now an hard and a heuy rekenynge.

1550 W. Lynne tr. J. Carion Thre Bks. Cronicles i. f. x^v The man whiche was endued with holynesse & the holy ghost, had set vp a very hard and rigorous maner of rulyng.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iv. viii. 45 He is fierce, and cannot brooke hard Language.

1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. i. 1 When hard words, Jealousies and Fears, Set Folks together by the ears.

1740 S. Richardson Pamela I. x. 17 What am I likely to have for my Reward, but Shame and Disgrace, or else ill Words, and hard Treatment!

1833 O. Pickering Rep. Supreme Court Mass. 10 105 To make a trustee liable at all events for compound interest, would..be a hard rule.

1879 C. Cowley Our Divorce Courts iii. 59 For years, his treatment of her was hard, cruel, and tyrannical.

1911 W. Le Queux Red Room xxviii. 264 ‘The punishment for murder is death,’ was my hard response.

1979 B. Freeman & M. Hewitt in Their Town ii. 93/2 This was a hard judgement of Nichols and his editors.

2011 Y. Edwards Cupboard Full Coats xiii. 241 A little hard discipline early, stop you turning out loose.

c. Of food, a meal, or a person's diet: frugal, simple; meagre, sparse.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > diet > [adjective] > plain

hard1546

sparea1571

gross1599

unexciting1880

R. Misyn tr. R. Rolle Fire of Love 26 Þai fed me comonly or on hard maner.

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 111 They com to the hermytage... Full harde was their souper.

1546 W. Hugh Troubled Mans Med. iii. sig. F.vi A wyse pacient, whiche wolde be glad to haue his disease, and the cause thereof expelled by kepynge a harde diete, and receyuynge of bitter medycynes.

1578 T. Churchyard Lamentable & Pitifull Descr. Wofull Warres Flaunders 51 After this long voyage, and hard fare, many dyed.

1607 S. Rowlands Famous Hist. Guy of Warwicke (Hunterian Club) 66 His diet of the meanest, hard and spare.

1654 E. Leigh Syst. Divinity iv. xviii. 360 The rich must inure themselves sometimes to a hard short meal, that they may do more good to others.

1706 J. Potter Archæologia Græca (ed. 2) II. iii. i. 2 They were also accustom'd by hard Diet, by Stripes, and other severities, patiently to undergo hardships.

1785 W. Cowper Task i. 123 Hard fare! but such as boyish appetite Disdains not.

1851 Knickerbocker June 497 Neither Doll nor my friend's beast is usened to hard fare.

1862 W. White Sailor-boy's Log-bk. i. 1 Encouraging Reception—Agree to enter for Ten Years—A hard Supper, and harder Pillow.

1915 J. S. De Benneville Tales Samurai ii. xii. 196 Hyosuke spoke with truth as he remembered the past hard and meagre diet at Fujisawa.

2003 P. L. Richard Busy Hands iii. 104 It did not take long for the authorities to realize that this hard fare did very little to sustain the troops physically or morally.

17.

a. Harsh or unpleasant to the eye or ear; grating, discordant; aesthetically displeasing; (of writing or literary style) stiff, laboured. Also more neutrally: stark, unadorned.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > harsh or discordant quality > [adjective]

hardOE

rudea1375

stern1390

rougha1400

discordanta1425

stoutc1440

hoarse1513

harsh1530

raughtish1567

rugged1567

dissonant1573

harshy1582

jarry1582

immelodious1601

cragged1605

raggeda1616

unmusicala1616

absonousa1620

unharmoniousa1634

inharmonical1683

unharmonic1694

inharmonious1715

craggy1774

pebbly1793

reedy1795

iron1807

dry1819

inharmonic1828

asperated1835

sawing1851

shrewd1876

coarse1879

callithumpian1886

dissonantal1946

ear-bending1946

sandpaper1953

OE Crist III 953 Ðonne heard gebrec, hlud, unmæte, swar ond swiðlic, swegdynna mæst, ældum egeslic, eawed weorþeð.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxxxi. 1388 Þe harde [L. dura] voice is hose, and also þe harde voys is grym and grisliche.

a1500 St. Jerome (Lamb.) in Anglia (1880) 3 343 (MED) With a fferefull fface and a hard voyse he satt up and cryed, ‘I shall not..thow lyest.’

1595 W. Lisle tr. S. G. de Senlis in tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Babilon 61 Those that thinke Cicero bableth without learning,..and that Salust writeth a hard and forced stile.

1682 N. Grew Anat. Plants Pref. sig. A4^v Some of the Plates..are a little hard and stiff.

1741 Ld. Hardwicke et al. Athenian Lett. II. lxxxviii. 187 In this composition thou wilt observe nothing hard or glaring.

1763 St. James's Mag. Nov. 149 His hard verse grates upon the ear.

1818 Q. Rev. 18 235 A hard, dry, ‘exsuccous’ style of writing.

1876 H. N. Humphreys Coin Coll. Man. xxv. 363 The gold coins of Aurelius are good examples of the hard and peculiar style of the period.

1925 E. Sitwell Troy Park 67 Each voice seemed the hard trombone of harsh seas.

1967 B. Raffel Devel. Mod. Indonesian Poetry vi. 180 This is, for Rendra, incredibly flat. If no other work in the volume caught this dry, hard, harsh tone, the poem..could be written off as a simple failure.

2005 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 7 May b 13/4 This is music of cold, hard trumpets and celestial clouds of sound, but all they do is wax and wane.

b. Of a person's features or appearance: characterized by strongly delineated lines; rough-hewn.Frequently implying a severe or unfeeling nature (cf. senses A. 3a, A. 16a).

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > face > types of face > [adjective]

flatc1400

hardc1400

low-cheeredc1400

large?a1425

ruscledc1440

well-visagedc1440

platter-faced1533

well-faced1534

full-faced1543

fair-faced1553

bright-faceda1560

crab-faced1563

crab-snouted1563

crab-tree-faced1563

long-visaged1584

owlya1586

wainscot-faced1588

flaberkin1592

rough-hewn1593

angel-faced1594

round-faced1594

crab-favoured1596

rugged1596

weasel-faced1596

rough-faced1598

half-faced1600

chitty1601

lenten-faced1604

broad-faced1607

dog-faced1607

weaselled-faced1607

wry-faced1607

maid-faced1610

warp-faced1611

ill-faceda1616

lean-faceda1616

old-faceda1616

moon-faced1619

monkey-faced1620

chitty-face1622

chitty-faceda1627

lean-chapt1629

antic-faced1635

bloat-faced1638

bacon-facea1640

blue-faced1640

hatchet-faced1648

grave1650

lean-jawed1679

smock-faced1684

lean-visaged1686

flaber1687

baby-faced1692

splatter-faced1707

chubby1722

puggy1722

block-faced1751

haggard-looking1756

long-faced1762

haggardly1763

fresh-faced1766

dough-faced1773

pudding-faced1777

baby-featured1780

fat-faced1782

haggard1787

weazen-face1794

keen1798

ferret-like1801

lean-cheeked1812

mulberry-faced1812

open-faced1813

open-countenanced1819

chiselled1821

hatchety1821

misfeatured1822

terse1824

weazen-faced1824

mahogany-faced1825

clock-faced1827

sharp1832

sensual1833

beef-faced1838

weaselly1838

ferret-faced1840

sensuous1843

rat-faced1844

recedent1849

neat-faced1850

cherubimical1854

pinch-faced1859

cherubic1860

frownya1861

receding1866

weak1882

misfeaturing1885

platopic1885

platyopic1885

pro-opic1885

wind-splitting1890

falcon-face1891

blunt-featured1916

bun-faced1927

fish-faced1963

c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 6404 (MED) Þe face hij han playne and hard, Als it were an okes bord.

a1425 (c1384) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Ezek. ii. 4 The sones ben of hard face [L. dura facie], and of herte vnchaastisable..to whom I sende thee.

1563 L. Humphrey Nobles or of Nobilitye i. sig. f.i^v These walowing in excesse, maskd in sutes and coloures, with impudent face and hard fauour.

a1627 T. Middleton & W. Rowley Changeling (1653) ii. sig. D2^v When w'are us'd to a hard face, 'tis not so unpleasing.

1684 T. Hall Serm. St. Botolphs Aldersgate 35 Look it [sc. death] often in the Face, and thou wilt sooner be reconciled to its hard Features, and grim Countenance.

1718 A. Pope in Weekly Packet 18 Oct. A Virgin hard of Feature.

1782 C. Smith Emmeline IV. viii. 162 His honest hard features seemed pinched with want.

1857 J. Fiske Let. 17 May (1940) 16 Little weaken-faced man of about 35, hard brow, cold eyes.

1882 W. Besant Revolt of Man (1883) iii. 72 It was a hard face even when she smiled.

1940 T. Wolfe & E. Aswell You can't go Home Again i. 14 Her mouth was hard and vulgar.

1960 R. F. C. Hull tr. C. J. Jung Struct. & Dynamics Psyche 397 Older women develop..incipient moustaches, rather hard features and other masculine traits.

2010 Oklahoman (Nexis) 26 Dec. 1 a The cowboy's hard good looks were matched..by a boiling temper.

c. Of alcoholic drink: harsh or sharp to the taste; acidic; sour. Now chiefly of wine: having an astringent quality, typically due to a high tannin content.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > types or qualities of intoxicating liquor > [adjective] > rough or acid

rough?1440

hard1572

hungry1577

acid1998

1572 J. Higgins Huloets Dict. (rev. ed.) Hard wyne, Vinum asperum. Vin rude, degouteux.

1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. ii. sig. K2^v Neyther harde Wine [Fr. le vin rude] is pleasaunte to the taste, neither haughtie behauiour acceptable in companie.

1608 T. Dekker Belman of London (new ed.) sig. I^v The Iumper..finds fault with the wine, saying tis too hard, but rose-water and suger wold send it downe merrily.

1671 J. Baltharpe Straights Voy. 32 The Wine was hard and very bad.

1752 Ess. Sugar 14 Malt liquors become hard, Wine loses its Taste and Odour, and Spirits their Strength.

1784 in J. Cook Voy. Pacific Ocean I. ii. 19 (note) They now gather the grapes when green, and make a dry hard wine of them.

1833 Drakard's Stamford News 1 Oct. To prevent beer from getting acetous, or what is called hard.

1867 T. Miller My Father's Garden xxvi. 267 The beer was hard, the cheese harder, the bread stale.

1902 Eng. Dial. Dict. III. 56/2 [South Lincs.] The aäle's gone that hard the men saä' they weänt drink eny moore on it.

1975 P. V. Price Taste of Wine iii. 20/1 Too high in elements that make the wine hard, astringent and generally unpalatable.

2008 C. Coates Wines of Burgundy (new ed.) 222/2 Casks were of poor quality and the wine was hard and rustic.

d. Of a shadow, outline, etc.: sharp, well-defined.

ΚΠ

1652 Bk. Drawing 40 For darke and hard shadows in many pictures, use Lake and Pinke mixt with Umber.

1796 ‘A. Pasquin’ Crit. Guide Exhib. Royal Acad. 15 There is the same hard outline, as usual; the same want of delicacy of tone.

1857 N. Hawthorne Jrnl. 11 Apr. in Eng. Notebks. (1997) II. v. 187 A generally hard outline of country.

1889 J. C. Van Dyke How to judge of Picture iii. 47 You will perhaps be startled by the hard, almost black, shadows cast by the various objects in the landscape.

1957 T. L. J. Bentley Man. Miniature Camera (ed. 5) vi. 82 The sharpness of the edge of hard lines is now becoming known by such terms as ‘acutance’.

1979 SLR Camera Jan. 59/1 In the case of B and W film..gradation is described as being hard [if it has few tones].

2012 N. Beauman Teleportation Accident (2013) v. 195 The laboratories and libraries and lecture theatres—delineated with the clarity of architectural drawings under the noon sun by the hard black shadows of their own cornices and pilasters.

e. Of light: bright, glaring; that casts strong, well-defined shadows. Also (chiefly Cinematography and Video Recording): designating a light source, originally esp. a carbon arc light, which produces such light; usually in plural.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > light > intensity of light > [adjective] > bright

shininga900

lighteOE

lightlyOE

sheenOE

torhtOE

shirea1000

steepa1000

shimmeringc1000

brightOE

strongOE

clear1297

fair?a1300

bright-shininga1387

merrya1393

skirea1400

lucident14..

shimc1400

staringc1400

luculentc1420

splendent1474

illuminousc1485

lucentc1500

bloominga1522

sheer1565

prelucent1568

faculent1575

splendant1578

lucid1591

neat1591

shine1596

translucent1596

well-lighted1606

nitid1615

lucible1623

dilucid1653

translucid1657

hard1660

1660 Whole Art of Drawing 17 You must with India-Lake mark out where and in what places you will have these strong and hard Lights and Reflections to fall.

1836 G. P. R. James Desultory Man II. 205 Sweet to Hope's ecstatic sight Come future dreams that day's hard light Had banished from the globe.

1862 R. H. Davis Margret Howth i. 28 To-morrow, when the hard daylight should jeer away the screening shadows, it would unbare a desolate, shabby home.

1907 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (ed. 6) 116 The lights being hard and the shadows dense.

1922 Harper's Mag. June 46/1 Mr. Dainopoulos hurried forward and soon left the region of hard arc lights behind.

1926 Ann. Amer. Acad. Polit. & Social Sci. 128 38/1 Lighting equipment used in the studio falls into two groups—‘hard’ lights and ‘soft’ lights. Hard lights are those which employ carbon arcs... Types of hard lights include baby spot and spot lights.

1949 Pop. Photogr. Nov. 59 Remembering that soft lighting emphasizes mass and that hard lighting accents line will help immeasurably.

2007 S. Richter & J. Ozer Hands-on Guide Flash Video iv. 29 Hard lights..create significant contrast between the lighter and darker regions in the image..and lots of lines and other detail.

18. Phonetics.

a. Designating voiceless consonants as opposed to corresponding voiced ones, e.g. /k/, /t/, /p/ as opposed to /ɡ/, /d/, /b/. Contrasted with soft adj. 24c.

ΚΠ

1649 C. Raue Disc. Orientall Tongues (new ed.) 161 The hard s, which followes, is of an acute sound, and for the most part with the vowels, a, e, i, o, u.

1846 J. E. Worcester Universal Dict. Eng. Lang. Introd. 19 Th..has two sounds; one, hard, sharp, or aspirate, as in thin..the other flat, soft, or vocal, as in..then, breathe.

1877 T. L. Papillon Man. Compar. Philol. (ed. 2) iii. 32 Consonants..a. Tenues..also called ‘sharp’, ‘hard’, ‘surd’.

1912 Stud. Philol. 9 p. x The use of Norman signs for Engl. sounds: c for ts, as in bletsian, and sc for hard s as in blisce.

1985 Lang. in Soc. 14 465 A subscribed dot is frequently used as a ‘hardener’... Under a possibly ambiguous ‘th’, it indicates a hard ‘th’.

2008 Church Times 28 Nov. 19/2 The Thandanani Children's Foundation (the name, pronounced with a hard ‘t’ at the beginning, means ‘Love one another’ in Zulu) has 2050 orphans on its books.

b. Designating the letters c and g, when pronounced (esp. in English) as the velar plosives /k/ and /ɡ/, as opposed to /s/ and /dʒ/. Contrasted with soft adj. 24d.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > consonant > [adjective] > others

harda1722

lunar1776

solar1776

cerebral1816

emphatic1855

mobile1861

vocular1884

movable1933

pre-final1934

prenasalized1937

mellow1956

1673 T. Lye Reading & spelling Eng. made Easie iv. 8 G before a, o, u, sounds hard, like ghee, with an aspiration.

a1722 J. Toland Coll. Several Pieces (1726) I. 220 Ga, go, gu, hard; Ge, gi soft.

1775 J. Walker Dict. Eng. Lang. Introd. 13 Shewing that the preceding c and g in these words are soft, which might possibly be mistaken, and pronounced hard, if written changable, peacable.

1800 G. Gilchrist Anti-jargonist p xliii The scholar must often articulate gh, kh, q, like our simple hard g, and k, until he acquires the true sounds of these Arabian characters.

1846 J. E. Worcester Universal Dict. Eng. Lang. Introd. 15 G before e, i, and y, is sometimes hard and sometimes soft.

1883 Bulletin (Sydney) 7 July 6/3 They have their ancient jins with them. We spell it with a j, because the English people have got into the habit of pronouncing them with a hard g.

1912 J. O. Wilson & E. A. Winship Merrill Intermediate Speller (1918) 22 In cottage we have the sound of hard c; and in pencil we have the soft c.

1977 S. L. Kirchner Signs for all Seasons 45 The speech sounds that are homophenous (look alike) are: f, v, ph, m, b, p,..hard c, hard g.

2003 N.Y. Times Mag. 4 May 20/2 Vietnam veterans will recall a term for the intentional killing of a fellow servicemember: fragging (pronounced with a hard g), more recently called fragicide (soft g).

19. Of water: containing relatively high concentrations of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts which decompose soap and make lathering difficult, and also make the water more likely to produce deposits of scale. Frequently in hard water (also attributive). Contrasted with soft adj. 25.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > liquid > water > [adjective] > properties or characteristics of water > containing mineral

hard1660

1660 F. Brooke tr. V. Le Blanc World Surveyed 18 The water was sharp and hard [Fr. aspre], but nothing brackish.

1686 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Staffs. ix. 356 Esteemed but a lean hard water.

1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters i. 83 Hard waters are the best for builders and plasterers.

1776 W. Reddington Pract. Treat. Brewing (ed. 3) ii. 20 A second reason why soft Water is to be preferred, is, that it more readily purges itself than hard Water.

1805 W. Saunders Treat. Mineral Waters (ed. 2) 305 A very hard water, curdling soap, and possessing a large portion of selenite and earthy carbonats.

1849 R. T. Claridge Cold-water Cure (1869) 85 Hard water makes the skin rough, but soft water, on the contrary, renders it smooth.

1959 Design Oct. 59/2 The heater is easy to keep clean, and descale where the water is hard.

1981 J. Halliday & J. Halliday in K. Thear & A. Fraser Compl. Bk. Livestock & Poultry (1988) iv. 95/2 For preference, use rain water as hard tap water may cause urinary calculi and consequent urethral blockage.

2004 P. Hymers New Home Builder x. 189 The electronic scale-reducers on the market..effectively stop limescale from building up but still leave the water hard.

IV. Forceful, powerful; strict, intense, uncompromising.

20. Intense in force or degree; strong, deep, profound.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adjective]

hardOE

heavyc1000

highOE

highlyOE

stourc1275

largec1330

intensec1400

violent1430

profoundc1450

vehementc1485

intensive1526

advanceda1533

vengeable1532

Herculean1602

well-advanced1602

deep1605

dense1732

abysmal1817

intensitive1835

holy1837

high-level1860

major1942

OE Blickling Homilies 59 Se lichoma þonne on þone heardestan stenc & on þone fulostan bið gecyrred.

OE Homily (Hatton 113) in A. S. Napier Wulfstan (1883) 139 Ne byð þær nan stefn gehyred, buton stearc and heard wop and wanung for wohdædum.

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Tale (Ellesmere) (1875) l. 873 Good hope crepeth in oure herte Supposynge though we sore smerte To be releeued by hym afterward Swich supposyng and hope is sharpe and hard.

a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xxi. 203 (MED) Into the harde wawes Of the Se That Schipe was keuered ful Certeinle.

1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xiv. 323 Thei fell in to so harde a slepe that thei forgate richard.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Gen. ii. D The Lorde God caused an herde slepe to fall vpon man.

1605 W. Camden Remaines 175 He might seeme to be in some hard distresse.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. iii. 147/2 Indicoe, an hard, deep, or Black Blew.

1736 N. Bailey et al. Dictionarium Britannicum (ed. 2) at Groan To fetch deep, hard and loud sighs.

1792 T. Kirkland Comm. Apoplectic & Paralytic Affections i. 41 He fell down, and a hard sleep followed.

1807 Z. M. Pike Acct. Exped. Sources Mississippi (1810) 30 Passed some large islands and remarkably hard ripples.

1862 ‘M. Harland’ Miriam xxv. 421 So I squeezed in, sir, and there lay Miss Mir’um, in a desperate hard faint.

1926 Boys' Life May 17/3 He had experienced a hard shock that morning as Lachlan told him about Powers.

2001 This is Bradford (Nexis) 2 Nov. Now, please excuse me whilst I take a long, hard yawn.

21.

a. Modifying a noun of action: performed with great force, exertion, or persistence; involving great labour or effort; vehement, vigorous, violent. Also: performed recklessly or to excess; esp. in hard drinking.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective]

hardOE

strenuous1671

rough1717

arduous1753

stiff1862

effortful1900

driven1967

OE Beowulf (2008) 576 No ic on niht gefrægn..heardran feohtan.

OE Exodus 327 Þraca [read þracu] wæs on ore, heard handplega.

a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 1229 (MED) Harde boffetes hi him ȝeue vnder his eyþer ere.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 5527 Wit herd werckes þai held þam in.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xxiv. 446 Ffull harde and felon was the bateile ther.

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. lxxxvii^v A sore conflict and an hard encountre.

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 iv. iii. 25 Their courage with hard labour tame and dull.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Malmené,..imbossed, or almost spent, as a Deere by hard pursuit.

1630 P. Massinger Picture sig. F3^v A dayes hard riding.

1683 London Gaz. No. 1868/3 The Cavalry made hard shift to get Forage, many Horses dying for want thereof.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iii. iv. 49 I had obtained by hard Study a good degree of Knowledge.

1782 J. Boswell Jrnl. 18 Apr. in Edinb. Jrnls. 1767–86 (2001) xiv. 457 Got into good spirits, imagining not virus but only gleet from hard drinking of punch.

1859 Eclectic Rev. Jan. 104 By dint of hard cramming..he finds himself in the first class in the matriculation list.

1884 I. Bligh in James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Ann. i. ii. 3 A fine specimen of hard hitting.

1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert i. 2 The present owner..had by no means inherited the tastes of a long line of Northumbrian ancestors for hard living and hard drinking.

1944 Air News Yearbk. II. 18 There is long, hard planning, endless training, repeated dry runs..behind undertakings of this magnitude.

1983 Buck & Hickman Catal. 1983–5 462 Unlike conventional percussion drills which start with a hard kick, the powermatic makes sure of a smooth start even at the highest speed setting.

2013 Teddy Bear Times Apr. 42/3 I know just how much hard work goes into their creation and Marilyn does it so perfectly.

b. Modifying an agent noun: that performs the specified action with great force, exertion, or persistence; unremitting; diligent. Also: that performs the specified action recklessly or to excess; esp. in hard drinker.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > perseverance or persistence > [adjective]

unwearyc893

unwearieda1240

perseverant1340

continuing1393

persevering?a1425

importunate1477

infatigable?1510

unfatigablec1550

persisting1552

unweariable1561

holdfast1567

indefatigable1586

patient1590

faintless1593

untired1597

untired1600

assidual1605

unrelenting1606

persistive1609

unwearyinga1614

hard1615

indefesse1621

constant1639

assiduous1660

dogged1700

unremitting1730

inexhaustible1762

unremitted1774

untiring1823

persistent1830

sleuth1864

tug-like1890

the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective] > acting with exertion

hard1615

1615 T. Jackson Justifying Faith 41 Intention of minde (as hard students know) much weakens the digestiue faculty.

1679 Tryal of Philip Earl of Pembroke & Montgomery 20 He had been a very hard Drinker of Wine,..which had (he believed) caused a Stagnation of Bloud in his Body.

1747 tr. J. B. Le Blanc Lett. Eng. & French Nations I. 327 The Goths..are said to have been hard-drinkers.

1792 R. Heron tr. J.-F. Marmontel in tr. New Coll. Moral Tales III. 41 I know very well that you are a hard worker, and very useful to your father.

1813 Examiner 24 May 326/1 For him..and others who were hard labourers.

1859 C. Kingsley Misc. (1860) I. 151 The hardest rider for many a mile round.

1899 N.Y. Med. Jrnl. 16 Dec. 890 The gentleman had never had syphilis, was not a hard smoker, and was very temperate in drink.

1926 M. M. Knowles Meg of Minadong 10 Their ‘old man’ had been..a hard grafter.

1939 F. Thompson Lark Rise iii. 56 ‘Hard liver, hard worker’ was a sound old country maxim, and the labouring man did well to follow it.

2013 Cape Times (Nexis) 6 Dec. 13 A hard partier in her own youth, Isabelle's mother..has the toughest time coming to terms with her daughter's choices.

22. Strict, rigorous, uncompromising.

a. Of a business transaction or negotiation: strict, exact; allowing no compromise or concession; (of an opinion, policy, etc.) uncompromising; inflexible. Cf. hard bargain n. 2, hard line n. 2.In early use with implication of short measure.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > strictness > [adjective]

cruelc1230

straitc1430

closea1466

district1526

hard1577

obstrictc1600

strict1603

restricta1617

uninclining1794

tight1872

headmistressy1972

1577 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Islande Brit. ii. xi. f. 86/2, in R. Holinshed Chron. I If they sell any [corne] at home, beside harder measure, it shal be dearer to the poore man by two pence or a groate in a bushell then they maye sell it in the market.

1647 N. Ward Simple Cobler Aggawam (ed. 4) 30 They never complain of me for giving them hard measure, or under-weight.

1810 J. Porter Sc. Chiefs III. ii. 37 These severities are not to be laid to my account. They are the hard policy of governor Cressingham.

1887 R. Garnett Life Carlyle viii. 135 She almost invariably took a hard view of persons and things.

1906 Law Rep.: Indian Appeals 33 120 The Subordinate Judge..decided to interfere in the enforcement of the hard terms of the contract.

1947 Forum (S. Afr.) 24 May 4/3 It was certain that some hard bargaining had taken place in that upstairs conference room, political horsetrading at which South Africa's politicians are adept.

2012 Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent) (Nexis) 18 Oct. 25 The youngster drove a hard deal—it's not often you see an antiques expert held in a half nelson.

b. Of an examination, analysis, etc.: rigorous, stringent; that does not evade or ignore potential problems.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [adjective] > strict, rigorous

just1490

nicea1522

point-devicea1529

exact1533

narrow1551

rigorousa1564

point-vice1574

curious1614

rigid?1626

hard1690

strict1749

deadly1909

1690 H. Maurice Remarks from Country 10 The Trojan Horse may now enter in with all that he has in his Belly, without any hard Examination that may discover a Conspiracy.

1800 Gentleman's Mag. Mar. 289/2 Hard investigation may trace out partial relief in particular cases.

1862 Blackwood's Mag. Jan. 57/1 Turning her face with a sense of relief from the hard inspection of the children to their little guardian.

1919 Court Appeals State N.Y. 361 The more you dig into the truth in this case.., the better we will be pleased for a complete, hard analysis of the facts.

1970 Kiplinger Mag. Mar. 39/2 Some hard investigation is prescribed before you sign up.

1999 Gair Rhydd 15 Mar. 8/5 Every public institution needs to take a long hard look at their practices.

2009 J. S. Dumas & J. E. Fox in A. Sears & J. A. Jacko Human–Computer Interaction xii. 243/1 The product is getting an unfairly hard evaluation.

c. Politics. Designating an extreme, dogmatic, or hardline faction within a political party or the political spectrum, esp. in hard left, hard right. Cf. hard line adj.Opposed to soft adj. 21c.With quot. 1906, cf. hardshell n. 2b.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > groups or attitudes right to left > [adjective] > extreme

high?1535

ultra1820

hard right1846

straight1856

extremist1907

extremistic1921

loony1977

society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > groups or attitudes right to left > [noun] > extremism > extremist > extremist faction

hard right1846

1846 A. Vieusseux Hist. Switzerland v. 213 A general reaction then took place against the hard faction.

1906 T. C. Smith Amer. Nation XVIII. vii. 104 The willingness of the ‘Hard’ faction of New York Democrats to harass the president caused this apparent defeat.

1947 Business Week 1 Nov. 100/2 It is alarming to see France split into hard-right and hard-left blocs. This could end in a conflict that would smother the Marshall Plan.

1960 Times 20 June 10/2 He has support from the hard left-wing forces that could threaten the present milder left-wing government.

1999 Washington Times (Nexis) 14 Jan. a17 Hard socialism posited a ‘new socialist man’, but had to fall back on coercion and terror to motivate actual workers.

2003 New Republic 21 July 6/3 So far, the United States has avoided acting like an empire in post-cold-war Africa, and, thus, the hard left has found little cause for moral concern.

d. Law (esp. International Law). Designating a law which is binding and contains legally enforceable rights and obligations, as hard law, hard provision, etc.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > [adjective] > various epithets applied to laws

vagabondc1485

strait1503

strict1578

unrelaxable1615

sanguinary1625

standard1660

formal1701

supplementary1714

eludible1735

organic1831

antinomic1849

loopy1856

antinomical1877

contravenable1880

violable1885

nexal1886

entrenched1920

hard1935

society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > [adjective]

fastOE

faithfula1500

obligatory1502

obligatoriousa1555

astrictivea1575

bounded1586

debt-bound1588

obliged1594

obligative1596

Stygian1608

obligator1609

binding1611

imperative1621

obligant1624

ligatory1625

obliging1638

obstrictive1642

boundant1649

self-binding1685

hard1935

1935 Amer. Jrnl. Internat. Law 29 231 It is peculiarly the genius of international justice that it leans against hard law and favours benignoir solutions.

1965 Internat. Organization 19 555 The formulation of ‘hard’ law (treaty) has been set aside in favor of ‘soft’ law (resolution or declaration).

1985 Review (Fernand Braudel Centre) 9 116 An effective international political regulation of these complex relations would..have to be..backed by hard legal instruments.

2014 R. Sharma Teach Woman to Fish xiv. 65 Our government has been giving a nod to labor and environmental concerns in trade agreements, but it has not established hard provisions.

23. Very powerful or potent.

a. colloquial (originally U.S.). Of a drink: alcoholic. Also of alcoholic drink: strong, potent, ‘stiff’; esp. designating spirits as opposed to wine or beer. Often contrasted with soft adj. 28a.hard cider, hard stuff: see Compounds 4.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > types or qualities of intoxicating liquor > [adjective] > strong

strongeOE

stalec1300

mainc1400

nappyc1460

starkc1485

nase?1536

huff-cap1599

nippitatum1600

intoxicating1604

inebriating1610

distempering1613–18

inebriative1615

toxing1635

hogen mogen1653

napping1654

humming1675

hard1700

inebriousa1704

ebrietating1711

bead-proof1753

steeve1801

high-proof1810

pithy1812

stiff1813

inebriant1828

reverent1837

a little more north1864

ebriating1872

rorty1950

1700 T. Tryon Lett., Domestick & Foreign xxxiv. 212 Strong and spirituous hard Drinks..produce the like Effects in colder Climates, tho' not to the same degree.

1810 M. L. Weems Let. in Ford's M. L. Weems: Wks & Ways (1929) III. 13 What could possibly have kept me from hard drink?

1879 Boston Trav. 20 Sept. Before the court..for selling hard liquor, when he had only a licence for selling ale.

1922 Field & Stream Oct. 66/1 One could even take a drink of hard liquor whenever he desired, so long as he did not take too much.

1964 C. Willock Enormous Zoo ix. 169 With a hard drink in the hand the day lengthens and softens.

2005 P. D. Alexander Next Rainy Day 77 Glenda said, ‘Can I get you two some coffee, a soft drink?’ Barry chimed in, ‘Or something harder.’

b. Physics. Of electromagnetic radiation: having great penetrating power (typically a result of a shorter wavelength).

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > radioactivity > gamma radiation > [adjective]

penetrating1898

hard1902

1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVIII. 52/2 If the exhaustion of the bulb is carried further..the Röntgen rays have much greater penetrating power and are often called ‘hard rays’.

1940 Nature 8 June 903/2 (title) Absorption of hard cosmic rays and mesotron decay.

1968 Sci. Jrnl. Nov. 44/2 This can be manifested as a ‘micro-explosion’ which will be a good source of both fast neutrons and hard x-rays.

2006 F. Wilczek Fantastic Realities 412 If there is no hard radiation, then the effect of soft radiation will be to convert the quark into a spray of hadrons.

c. Of a recreational drug: particularly harmful or addictive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > an intoxicating drug > [adjective] > addictive

addictive1891

addicting1931

hard1950

1950 J. Lait & L. Mortimer Chicago: Confidential i. iv. 52 On 47th Street you can buy anything: reefers, ‘hard’ dope,..trick knives, and women.

1985 I. Gitler Swing to Bop (1987) vii. 275 The hard drug epidemic among the modern jazz musicians had its beginning during World War II.

2009 Observer 6 Sept. 6/2 A line is drawn between marijuana and hard drugs.

d. Of a detergent, pesticide, etc.: poorly biodegradable; (more generally) relatively persistent in or harmful to the environment. Contrasted with soft adj. 34a.

ΚΠ

1958 Sewage & Industr. Wastes 30 760/2 The former are referred to as biologically ‘soft’ and the latter as biologically ‘hard’ materials, soft meaning easily assimilated and hard the opposite.

1961 New Scientist 10 Aug. 323/2 The complete substitution of soft for hard detergent on a national scale would result in a reduction of the measured detergent in sewage effluents.

1969 Oakland (Calif.) Post 20 Nov. 17 The fish-feeding grebes, scientifically used as a natural indicator of the concentration of the hard pesticide, did not show an reproductive increase until the last three years.

1990 R.M. Silverstein in R. L. Ridgway Behavior-modifying Chemicals for Insect Managem. 3 They acknowledged the problems of involving industry and of persuading regulatory agencies that pheromones are not synonymous with hard insecticides.

2006 M. H. Gerardi Wastewater Bacteria 203 Significant impacts of hard surfactants are undesired foaming and destruction of bacteria, protozoa, and metazoa.

e. Of pornography: very explicit or extreme; = hardcore adj. 2.

ΚΠ

1961 R. Kyle-Keith High Price Pornogr. vii. 112 As long as they work through the law to rid their communities of ‘hard pornography’ no damage is done.

1971 Hansard Lords 21 Apr. 643 I [sc. Lord Longford] hold in my hand a piece of hard ‘porn’..: are we going to allow this sort of sadistic filth to be published and distributed freely?

1991 Outrage Feb. 45/2 It is not a hard action scene, there is no penetration, it is an intensively erotic fantasy.

2003 Times 9 Aug. 20/1 A group that the bishop-elect founded to help sexually confused young people had a website that was a click away from hard porn.

24. Originally and chiefly U.S. Of a bend or turn: characterized by or involving a (sudden) marked change of direction; tight, sharp, abrupt.

ΚΠ

1870 W. M. Roberts Surv. Ohio River (1871) 107 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (41st Congr., 3rd Sess.: House of Representatives Exec. Doc. 72) VIII Sugar Creek Bend, five hundred and eighteen miles from Pittsburg.—At 518 to 520 miles hard bend in river to right; narrow but deep.

1915 B. Elliot Farm Power Cycl. ii. xxxv. 177 In making a hard turn, especially, go slow.

1942 Life 26 Oct. 116/2 I barely had time to give a hard left and a hard right and we went scooting past each other.

1976 Cruising World Sept. 56/1 Harris prefers the double ended hullform, feeling that it..allows a more homogeneous structure with fewer hard turns.

2011 R. Hansen Wild Surge of Guilty Pleasure 164 He swerved a hard right toward the one-car garage and banged into the curb.

25. Physics. Of a vacuum: containing very little air or gas; almost complete; (of a vacuum tube or thermionic valve) containing such a vacuum; chiefly in hard vacuum.See also hard tube n., hard valve n. at Compounds 4.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > gas > air > [adjective] > under pressure > in which a vacuum has been produced > complete or incomplete vacuum

hard1898

rough1900

1898 Science 22 Apr. 565/1 Professor Röntgen has made..a third communication on the X-rays... The same body has different transparencies with different tubes, ‘soft tubes’ being those requiring a small potential and ‘hard tubes’ those requiring a high one.

1931 R. L. Duncan & C. E. Drew Radio Telegr. & Telephony (ed. 2) 214 The degree of vacuum in the tube would change and some tubes became soft (having less vacuum) while others became hard (having a higher vacuum, with little or no gas present).

1945 Astounding Sci.-Fiction May 9/2 A ship traveling on overdrive—above the speed of light—does not want to hit even a merely hard vacuum.

1981 V. N. McIntyre Entropy Effect vii. 182 This felt as if he were falling through space, through hard vacuum, buffeted by every eddy of the solar wind.

2007 Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gaz. (Nexis) 25 Oct. f7 Humans face many hazards while living and working in the dangerous and unforgiving environment of space. Some of the hazards are obvious: hard vacuum, extreme cold and radiation from the sun.

26. U.S. slang (originally and chiefly in African-American use). Excellent, impressive; stylish, fashionable. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > fashionableness > [adjective]

in (also into) request?1574

bonfacion1584

fashional?1607

of request1613

fashionablea1627

à la mode1642

all the mode1651

modish1661

in mode1664

timeish1676

of vogue1678

voguea1695

mody1701

alamodic1753

much the mode1767

tonish1778

go1784

stylish1800

bang-up1810

tippy1810

varmint1823

up to the knocker1844

gyvera1866

OK1869

fly1879

swagger1879

doggy1885

faddy1885

fantoosh1920

voguish1927

voguey1928

à la page1930

go1937

hard1938

hip1939

down1952

swinging1958

a-go-go1960

way-in1960

yé-yé1960

trendy1962

with-it1962

go-go1963

happening1965

mod1965

funky1967

together1968

fash1977

cred1987

1938 C. Calloway Cab Calloway's Cat-ologue Hard, fine or good.

1939 C. Calloway New Cab Calloway's Cat-ologue (at cited word) That's a hard tie you're wearing.

1944 D. Burley Orig. Handbk. Harlem Jive 130 Solid! Man, Solid! Yo' sure layin' some hard jive.

1974 B. Jackson Get your Ass in Water 90 I always featured a pad as hard as this.

1997 J. A. Sanders Da Bomb (Calif. State Polytechnic Univ., Pomona) (Summer Suppl.) 7 That song by 2pac is hard.

27.

a. Designating a particularly uncompromising, extreme, or experimental version of any of various types of popular music, as distinct from more mainstream forms. Cf. hardcore adj. 3. See also hard bop n. at Compounds 4, and hard rock n.²

ΚΠ

1947 Billboard 20 Dec. 39/1 The distinctive part of this [performance]..is the toning down of Charley Barnet's hard jazz.

1975 Winnipeg Free Press 3 Sept. 28/6 Somewhere between the hard funk of the discos and the really pretty, sweet sound of Barry White.

1997 M. Groening et al. Simpsons: Compl. Guide 22/2 She finds a soulful saxophone player, Bleeding Gums Murphy, playing some hard blues.

2006 N.Y. Times 29 Dec. e24/1 Hard funk is easily within her grasp, as is folk-rock, soft soul and several kinds of jazz.

b. spec. In the names of various subgenres of electronic dance music characterized by faster tempos and stronger bass lines and beats than related forms, as hard house, hard trance, etc.See also hardbag n., hardstep n. at Compounds 4.

ΚΠ

1989 Blues & Soul 11 July 44/2 Music format is heavy newbeat and hard house.

1997 Independent on Sunday 9 Feb. (Real Life section) 3/3 We go to squat raves where they play hard techno, gabba..and breakcore.

2007 Guardian 26 May (Guide Suppl.) 27/1 Hard house, hard trance, bounce and hard dance from DJs Jackie B, Trilby, Daryl Yare and Craig Randall.

B. n.

a. That which is hard (in various senses); spec. hardship, hard times. Also: something which is hard; a hard thing, experience, etc. See also Phrases 2c.In early use frequently in conjunction with nesh, esp. in hard nor (also or, etc.) nesh: any (or all) circumstances; cf. in nesh and hard at nesh n. c, for nesh or hard at nesh n. d.In Old English and early Middle English also in partitive genitive singular, usually as postmodifier.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > [noun] > hardship

hardeOE

grief?c1225

nowcinc1225

sharpship?c1225

straitnessa1340

necessityc1390

hardlaikc1540

hardshipc1540

disage1607

rough1615

rigour1632

erumny1657

strait1837

sufferation1976

eOE Metrical Dialogue of Solomon & Saturn (Corpus Cambr. 422) ii. 287 Him on hand gæð heardes and hnesces.

OE tr. Medicina de Quadrupedibus (Vitell.) xii. 268 Wið ælce heardnysse, fearres smeru mylt..& lege on; ealle þa sar & þæt hearde [L. duritiam] hyt geliðigað.

OE Handbk. for Use of Confessor (Corpus Cambr. 201) in Anglia (1965) 83 18 Æghwæt hnesces oððe heardes, wætes oððe driges.

OE tr. Chrodegang of Metz Regula Canonicorum (Corpus Cambr. 191) lx. 295 Efne nu þu blac list..ne gefelst þu god ne yfel, ne heard ne hnesce [L. non dura, non mollia sentis].

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3734 O þatt hallf þatt he wass mann Mann mihhte himm fon. & pinenn. Wiþþ hat. & kald. wiþþ nesshe. & harrd.

c1225 (?c1200) Sawles Warde (Bodl.) (1938) 20 Moni, for to muchel heard of wa þet he dreheð, forȝet ure lauerd..bituhhen heard & nesche, bituhhe wa of þis world ant to muche wunne..is in euch worldlich þing þe middel wei ȝuldene..hwet se beo of heardes ne drede ich nawiht.

c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 459 Ne recche ich noȝt of winteres reue [printed rene]; Wan ich iso þat cumeþ þat harde, Ich fare hom to min erde.

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 472 But ȝif myn hauteyn hert þe harde a-sente.

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 4572 (MED) Þe Sarzyns armede hem on euery syde, Boþe with scharp & hard.

c1400 (?c1380) Pearl 606 Queþer-so-euer he dele nesch oþer harde.

a1450 Rule St. Benet (Vesp.) (1902) l. 873 (MED) Wend þou not, for hard ne nesch, Efter þe ȝarnynges of þi flesch.

a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sloane) (1862) 33 (MED) Feyre hony do into hit To þo hony stonde over þo flesshe Too fyngurs thyke for harde or nesshe.

c1500 (?a1475) St. Margaret (Ashm.) l. 263 in C. Horstmann Altengl. Legenden (1881) 2nd Ser. 238 (MED) Iff þe hope wer of my flessche To do þi wyll both herd [v.r. arde] & nessche, To-rente þe flessch fro þe bone!

1580 A. Fleming tr. F. Nausea Bright Burning Beacon xiii. sig. P.3^v Thou that hast power..to make that streight which is crooked, the hard soft, the rough smooth.

1624 ‘E. Orandus’ tr. Artephius in tr. N. Flamel Expos. Hieroglyphicall Figures St. Innocent's Church-yard 175 The hot is mixed with the cold, the dry with the moist, and the hard with the soft.

1767 W. Harte Amaranth 105 Where hot, and cold, the rough, and lenient fight, The hard, and soft, the heavy, and the light.

1795 A. Shirrefs Sale Catal. 3 A plain North-country bard, Who fain would cripple through the hard.

1807 New Encycl. XVI. 701/1 The hard and soft of the same quality are placed in different lots.

1866 R. Leighton Poems 38 They little hand..has no feel of this world's hardening work, And emblems thy young soul, which bears not yet The hards of earth upon it.

1976 W. W. Warner Beautiful Swimmers vi. 136 Crabs will be generally scarce... Prices for both hards and softs will run very high.

2006 T. W. Reeser Moderating Masculinity Early Mod. Culture 54 Aristotle upsets the binary opposition between the ‘hard’ and the ‘soft’ through his emphasis on moderation or the mean state of courage.

b. The hard part of something, esp. of the hand or foot.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [noun] > hard substance or thing > the hard part

harda1400

a1400 Siege Jerusalem (Laud) (1932) l. 812 (MED) Waspacian wounded was þer..Þrow þe hard of þe hele.

tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) viii. l. 135 Of squyllis whyte, alraw, taak of the hardis.

?a1500 Nominale (Yale Beinecke 594) in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 752/22 (MED) Hic callus, Hec planta, the harde of the fothe.

1958 R. Dohrman Cross Baron Samedi iii. 163 Andy LeGrand..has Job's patience with men he would gladly give the hard of his hand to if he had them back home.

1962 London Mag. Sept. 7 He was hitting the hard of his palm with the hammer.

2. Hard, firm, or dry ground; an area of hard or harder ground; (also) a shelf or bank (bank n.¹ 4) in a river. In later use chiefly (in the Fenlands of eastern England): an area of dry ground within or bordering a marsh or fen; usually in plural. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > ground > [noun] > hard

hard?c1350

bone1864

?c1350 Ballad Sc. Wars l. 151 in A. Brandl & O. Zippel Mitteleng. Sprach- u. Literaturproben (1917) 139 Wa bides him on hard and herch [read heech] Þat day sal deye and duelle in wa.

1576 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxf. (1880) 385 That hurst or bancke is of hard, and some gravell.

1629 H. C. Disc. Drayning Fennes sig. A3^v The Inhabitants upon the Hards, and the Bankes within the Fennes.

1642 A. Burrell Briefe Relation 15 To take up the Hards or Shoulds which are in the River Grant, betwixt Harimer and Cambridge, being Gravell, Sand, or Chalk,..is a work that must be performed by a water Engine.

1725 T. Badeslade Hist. Navigation King's-Lyn vi. 73 The Lord Chief justice Popham, in his Scheme for Draining, Anno 1605. provided against all Weers, Stamps, Hards.

?a1790 W. Elstobb Hist. Acct. Bedford Level (1793) 274 The said river was..made shallow by gravel and fords, called hards.

1860 Queen Victoria Leaves Jrnl. Life in Highlands 4 Sept. (1868) 191 We walked on a little way to where the valley and glen widen out, and where there is what they call here a green ‘hard’.

1881 Notes & Queries 9 July 38/1 The middle of a road is in this neighbourhood [sc. Lincoln] called ‘the hard’ to distinguish it from the sides, which are not stoned.

1895 P. H. Emerson Birds, Beasts, & Fishes Norfolk Broadland 215 The swan dearly loves a ‘hard’ covered with weed.

1903 Fenland Notes & Queries 5 165 It was not easy to keep the cattle off the King's Part, which consisted of 88 acres of the hards.

1956 G. E. Evans Ask Fellows who cut Hay (1962) xxi. 182 They knew the hards (fords) down the river.

1974 J. R. Ravensdale Liable to Floods ii. 68 Adequate permanent pastures on the hards near the village, where milking was convenient.

3. A firm beach or foreshore; (also) a sloping stone jetty; a wharf, a quay. Cf. hardway n. at Compounds 4.In Portsmouth, Hampshire: the name of a street adjoining the dockyard (also called the Common Hard).

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > berthing, mooring, or anchoring > harbour or port > [noun] > landing-place

strand1205

arrivala1450

slip1467

pow1481

arrivagea1500

landing-place1512

shore1512

landing1601

scale1682

bunder1698

gat1723

hard1728

loadberry1764

hardway1785

the world > the earth > land > land mass > shore or bank > seashore or coast > [noun] > beach or foreshore > spec

shingle1513

hard1728

shell beach1835

private beach1859

storm-beach1882

pocket beach1893

1728 E. Goodea Lease in Mariner's Mirror (1957) 43 297 Two Keys or Key hards lying between and also a Yard Key or Port late in the possession of Mary Barnardiston.

1785 W. Tracey Candid Narr. Operations to raise Royal George 4 Mr. Gilbert, Master-attendant, ordered me to take the Deligente from the Jetty in the Dockyard to the Moorings off the Common Hard.

1829 W. N. Glascock Sailors & Saints I. 193 I..was obligated, at last, to sell it to a Jew on the Hard, for a suit of mustering rigging.

1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xxiii. 224 The Common Hard, a dirty street leading down to the dockyard [in Portsmouth].

1866 Daily Tel. 11 Jan. 4/4 The loves of the ‘Hard’ are proverbially of brief duration.

1886 R. C. Leslie Sea-painter's Log iv. 64 Well-known sheltered beaches, or ‘common hards’, as they were called. These hards still remain in old seaports.

1897 M. Pemberton in Windsor Mag. Jan. 268/1 I have started from the hard of the boathouse with fingers..benumbed.

1905 R. A. Freeman Golden Pool iv. 33 Half a dozen of the long flat-bottomed canoes..such as the natives use, were drawn up by the ‘hard’ or landing-place.

1987 World Mag. Oct. 63/2 The main street was wide enough to allow whole oaks to be rolled down to the ‘hard’ beside the River Beaulieu.

2009 D. Durham Peyton xi. 80 Shuttlewood's old boat-shed at the top of the hard was deserted, and there was nothing to do but lie on the lee side of the sea wall.

4. In plural. Hard compact coals of larger size; (formerly also) †pieces of slag, clinkers (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > coal or types of coal > [noun]

coal1253

sea-coal1253

pit-coal1483

cannel1541

earth coala1552

horse coal1552

Newcastle coal1552

stone-coal1585

cannel coal1587

parrot1594

burn-coal1597

lithanthrax1612

stony coal1617

Welsh coala1618

land-coala1661

foot coal1665

peacock coal1686

rough coal1686

white coal1686

heathen-coalc1697

coal-stone1708

round1708

stone-coal1708

bench-coal1712

slipper coal1712

black coal1713

culm1742

rock coal1750

board coal1761

Bovey coal1761

house coal1784

mineral coal1785

splint1789

splint coal1789

jet coal1794

anthracite1797

wood-coal1799

blind-coal1802

black diamond1803

silk-coal1803

glance-coal1805

lignite1808

Welsh stone-coal1808

soft1811

spout coals1821

spouter1821

Wallsend1821

brown coal1833

paper coal1833

steam-coal1850

peat-coal1851

cherry-coal1853

household1854

sinter coal1854

oil coal1856

raker1857

Kilkenny coal1861

Pottery coal1867

silkstone1867

block coal1871

admiralty1877

rattlejack1877

bunker1883

fusain1883

smitham1883

bunker coal1885

triping1886

trolley coal1890

kibble1891

sea-borne1892

jet1893

steam1897

sack coal1898

Welsh1898

navigation coal1900

Coalite1906

clarain1919

durain1919

vitrain1919

single1921

kolm1930

hards1956

1835 J. Holland Hist. & Descr. Fossil Fuel, Collieries, & Coal Trade vii. 148 Fifty fathoms below the bottom..lies the Handsworth seam..exhibiting eight distinct laminae, technically known as tops, bright, best bright, top hards, dead bed, black hards, spire hards, and pricking coal.

1849 Farmer's Mag. July 21/2 We melted the bars occasionally in our grates; and when you have melted bars, you always get a quantity of what are called hards.

1956 F. S. Atkinson in D. L. Linton Sheffield 268 The ‘hards’ of the Barnsley seam and, to a lesser extent, of the Parkgate or Deep Hard, make an excellent locomotive coal.

2011 M. J. McGinty Life & Times Duke 38 When refuelling at Perth the kind of coal one could expect would be softer and smaller than the Welsh or the Yorkshire hards at Crewe.

5. U.S. Politics. Chiefly with capital initial.

a. A conservative Democrat; = hardshell n. 2b. Now chiefly historical.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > rule or government > politics > American politics > [noun] > Democratic Party > member or adherent of > of branch of

loco-foco1835

loco1838

O.K.1840

hard1843

softshell1845

barn-burner1848

hardshell1852

soft1853

softshell1853

Bourbon1859

short-hairs1867

New Dem1962

Blue Dog1995

1843 J. S. Robb Streaks Squatter Life 91 Hards, softs, whigs and Tylerites were represented.

1888 J. Bryce Amer. Commonw. II. xlvi. 203 The Hunkers and Barnburners who divided the Democratic party forty years ago, and subsequently passed into the ‘Hards’ and the ‘Softs’, began in genuine differences of opinion about canal management and other State questions.

1976 N.Y. Hist. 57 478 The dispute between the Softs and Hards primarily revolved around attitudes towards the schismatics of 1848 and the distribution of patronage under President Franklin Pierce.

2005 New Republic (Nexis) 7 Feb. 4 From his point of view, Democrats are divided into ‘hards’ and ‘softs’—hards, of course, being good, and softs bad.

b. In the 1840s and 1850s: a supporter of Senator Thomas Benton of Missouri. Now historical. [So called from Benton and his supporters' advocacy of hard currency as opposed to banknotes.] Sometimes overlapping with sense B. 5a.

ΚΠ

1844 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 25 July The anticipated defeat of Col. Benton results from a broad division in the Loco ranks, growing out of pro and con. views respecting an exclusive metallic currency: one party is termed ‘Hards’, the other ‘Softs’.

1886 T. Roosevelt T. H. Benton (1899) xv. 303 Benton was such a firm believer in hard money..as to have received the nickname of ‘Old Bullion’, and his followers were called ‘hards’; his opponents were soft money men.

1949 Current Hist. 16 285/2 Neither Benton's ‘Hards’ not Atchison's ‘Softs’ had a legislative majority but the Whigs threw their support to the Softs.

2009 W. G. Piston & T. P. Sweeney Portraits of Conflict 36/2 Both [the Democratic and Whig parties] split in relation to bank policies..with State politicians aligning themselves with or against..Sen. Thomas Hart Benton, leader of the ‘Hards’.

†6. In plural. An adulterant of bread consisting of alum and salt. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1851 Lancet 12 Apr. 421/2 The majority, however, make use of an article known in the trade as ‘hards’ and ‘stuff’.

1855 1st Rep. Select Comm. Adulteration of Food 2 in Parl. Papers 1854–5 (H.C. 432) VIII. 221 Bread is adulterated with mashed potatoes, alum, ‘hards’, and sometimes..with sulphate of copper.

1869 Pharmaceut. Jrnl. & Trans. Dec. 363 The use was admitted of a composition known as ‘hards’, and this was shown..to consist of equal parts of alum and salt.

7. slang. Tobacco prepared in the form of a cake or (occasionally) a twist, rather than loose fragments of leaf. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > tobacco > [noun] > tobacco in a roll, cake, or stick

cane-tobacco1600

pudding tobacco1601

roll1602

tobacco roll1602

canea1612

pudding-packa1618

prick1666

pigtail1681

nova1688

prick tobacco1688

plug1729

plug tobacco1788

twist1791

carrot1808

cavendish1839

nail-rod1848

hard1865

twist tobacco1894

1865 T. Archer Pauper, Thief & Convict v. 83 Peaceable companions..smoking pipefuls of ‘hard’ which they cut from a flat cake with their clasp-knives.

1898 G. Bartram White-headed Boy iv. 105 Lind me a hand..with this lump o' harrd.

1912 R. A. Freeman Singing Bone 180 It was not shag, for it consisted of coarsely-cut shreds and was nearly black. ‘Shavings from a cake of “hard”,’ was my verdict.

1937 ‘Red Collar Man’ Chokey 172 Articles are valued as worth so many inches of ‘hard’, which is twist or plug tobacco.

8. slang. (a) Short for hard labour n. at Compounds 4 (now historical). (b) U.S. Short for hard time n. at Compounds 4.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > [noun] > with hard labour > hard labour

hard labour1651

servitude1659

hard1887

1887 Fun 8 June 246/2 A canny Scot was recently sentenced to ten days' hard for shooting the crow—i.e. ordering half-a-quartern of whiskey, drinking it rapidly, and neglecting to pay.

1920 J. Castier Rather Like 287 I got three years hard for a forgery he was the actual author of.

1978 T. Stoppard Every Good Boy deserves Favour 31 I want to get back to the bad old times when a man got a sentence appropriate to his crimes—ten years' hard for a word out of place.

1981 T. Brenner & B. Nagler Only Ring was Square 111 He had been in numbers before doing four years hard for manslaughter.

2009 J. Arneberg Into Unseen Distance ii. 20 You're the judge that sentenced him to eight years hard for killing a drug addict and fornicator.

9. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). = hard-on n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual activity > [noun] > erection

elevation1543

erection1594

tentigoa1603

Jack1604

stand1608

surgation1688

cockstandc1890

hard-on1898

hard1927

boner1936

hard up1937

bone-on1969

morning-glory1985

1893 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang III. 269 Bit of hard, the penis in erection.]

1927 Immortalia 149 I thought his hard was on him.

1967 A. Wilson No Laughing Matter iii. 377 He pulled up her red woollen dress..but still no hard.

1992 A. Duff One Night out Stealing 152 A real looker. Enough to get a horny dude like Jube a hard on the spot.

Phrases

P1. to be hard on (also upon, in early use also †up).

a. Of a person: to be harsh or severe in dealing with (someone). to be hard on oneself: to be severely or excessively critical of oneself or one's achievements.

ΚΠ

a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 1351 Hi..so hard vp þe were Þat a Paynym hi wolde deliuere þat of þeofþe ne miȝte him skere.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 8831 So hard he was vpe [a1400 Trin. Cambr. to] þeues þat hii ne durste nour at route.

1539 R. Taverner Second Bk. Garden of Wysdome sig. E.i^v He was not a litle touched w^t pytie and clemencie towardes Cresus, & sayed, he wolde not herafter shew himselfe to hard vpon Cresus.

1682 London Gaz. No. 1737/2 The French..are very hard upon the Tenants to make them pay their Rents, with all their Arrears.

1738 J. Swift Compl. Coll. Genteel Conversat. 19 Colonel, why so hard upon poor Miss?

1854 Christian Remembrancer 28 282 The impartiality..of the Dean, makes him..hard on those who..lay too great a stress on differences.

1872 Eccl. Observer Apr. 131 A Christian who has sinned ought to be hard on himself.

1952 J. D. Mackie Early Tudors xiii. 455 Thomas More, like other non-combatants, was very hard upon the soldier home from the wars.

2011 Church Times 21 Oct. 6/5 It distresses me to see so many women being hard on themselves, and on other women.

b. Of circumstances or events: to be unpleasant or difficult for (someone), to be unfair to. [In quot. 1617 translating Aramaic hăwā qĕšē to be difficult (in Targum Onkelos, Exodus 2:23: wĕ 'it’annaḥū bĕnē yiśrā’ēl min pulḥānā dahăwā qĕšē ʿălēyhōn, lit. ‘and they oppressed the children of Israel with a servitude which was hard upon them’).]

ΚΠ

1617 H. Ainsworth tr. in Annot. Second Bk. Moses, called Exodus sig. B1^v [The Chaldee addeth,]servitude which was hard upon them.

1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1763 I. 245 To be sure, bad weather is hard upon people who are obliged to be abroad.

1864 C. M. Yonge Trial I. vi. 113 It is hard on a man who has been at work all day to come home and find a dark house and nobody to speak to.

1912 Musical Standard 2 Nov. 278/1 Many folk..do not want to hear Wagner every Monday, and it is rather hard upon them that ten per cent..of the programmes should be thus specialized.

1946 S. J. Perelman Keep it Crisp 219 It's hard on us oldsters, but it isn't going to be easy for you, either.

2003 L. S. Cunningham Dreams of Rescue 222 It will be hard on him, I think, to hear his weaknesses..exposed in open court.

c. Of an action, event, person, etc.: to cause (excessive) damage or wear to (something); to hurt or damage.

ΚΠ

1831 M. Griffith Our Neighbourhood vi. 37 The droughts of summer and the frosts of winter are very hard on rootless plants.

1874 A. M. Diaz Lucy Maria xvi. 107 The mothers discussing their children..; which ones outgrew their clothes, which ones were hard on shoes, and which the contrary.

1910 Living Age 8 Jan. 83/2 This sort of thing pursued by candlelight is hard upon the eyes.

1969 Lebanon (Pa.) Daily News 24 Mar. 19/7 The course is very bumpy here and is very hard on the suspension systems.

2003 J. B. Hunsaker Seeing Elephant 45 This type of high protein diet..is very hard on the kidneys and often results in diarrhea.

P2. Phrases formed on the noun, with the sense ‘difficulty, hardship, misfortune, etc.’. Cf. sense B. 1a.

†a. of (also by, with) hard: with difficulty. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [phrase] > with difficulty

of (also by, with) hardc1330

with needa1500

by (also with) the skin of one's teeth1560

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > violently [phrase]

of hardc1330

at (the) utterance1480

hip and thigh1560

with a vengeance1568

with a powderc1600

with a siserary1607

full fling1614

with the vengeance1693

like a thousand (also hundred) of brick(s)1836

c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 1726 (MED) Y com fram Lombardy, Of hard y-schaped for þe maistrie.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Eccles. i. 15 Peruertid men of hard ben amendid.

a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) II. 100 Þes synneris bi hard ben turned to God.

c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 3004 He with hard schapid.

†b. at the hardest: at worst; at the least. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > greatly or very much [phrase] > in or to the greatest degree

never solOE

with (also mid) the mostc1275

for the masteryc1325

to the bestc1390

to the uttermostc1400

at the hardest1429

to the utmostc1450

to the skies (also sky)1559

at float1594

all to nothing1606

to the height1609

to the proofa1625

to the last degree1639

to the welkin?1746

(the) worst kind1839

for all it's worth1864

as —— as they make them?a1880

in the highest1897

to the nth (degree, power)1897

up to eleven1987

1429–30 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Sept. 1429 §18. m. 13 If þe pleine deliveraunce of þe seide Barbazan, myght pleinly quite out of prison þe seide lord Talbot, and seignur Wauter Hungreford þe yonger, or elles atte þe hardest þe seide Lord Talbot.

?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 81 (MED) Atte the hardest [Fr. au moins], for a while, thou wilt not goo ferre.

1548 F. Bryan tr. A. de Guevara Dispraise Life Courtier iv. sig. e.i He may be accompanied in the village with wise and sage frendes, or at the hardest with good bokes.

1577 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Islande Brit. ii. v. f. 78/1, in R. Holinshed Chron. I S. Dauides hath Pembrooke and Caermardine shyres, whose liuerie or first fruites to the Sie of Rome was 1500. Ducates at the hardest.

†(a) let hard come to hard (also let the hardest come to the hardest): let the worst happen. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1670 J. Eachard Grounds Contempt of Clergy 114 Let the hardest come to the hardest; if they can get by heart, Quid est Fides?

1831 T. Carlyle Let. 29 Aug. in J. A. Froude T. Carlyle: First Forty Years (1910) II. viii. 151 Let hard come to hard as it will; we will study to be ready for it.

1833 Fraser's Mag. Aug. 133/2 To watch only that thy own ease be not invaded,—let otherwise hard come to hard as it will and can?

1848 R. W. Emerson Jrnl. (1973) 274 If hard come to hard, the camel has a great deal of hump left to spend from.

(b) hard comes (also goes) to hard: the most difficult circumstances arise; the worst comes to the worst. Now Irish English (rare).

ΚΠ

1727 P. Walker Some Remarkable Passages Semple, Welwood & Cameron 120 This implicite Faith, and Way of Working, would have made melancholly Suffering, when Hard came to Hard, of Boots, Thumbikins and Fire-matches.

1863 Cornhill Mag. July 109 There is the army in the background ready to fight the matter out if hard comes to hard.

1897 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Mar. 429/2 He did his utmost..to maintain it [sc. the traditional policy]..by the means which his predecessors considered the only effective ones when hard comes to hard.

1928 Irish Breeder 18 A plain, common beast wul iye howl its ain, If hard goes to hard, cud leeve on a stane.

d. Originally and chiefly Scottish. to come (also go, etc.) through the hards (also hard): to experience hardship or difficulty. Now rare. Sc. National Dict. (at cited word) records this sense as still in use in Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Fife in 1956.

ΚΠ

1820 R. Mudie Glenfergus III. xxxi. 229 Tibbie an' Colin, that hae come sae sair throu' the hards.

1858 G. Roy Generalship vi. 101 The bits o' bairns run a great risk o' coming through the hard.

1904 R. Small Hist. U.P. Congregat. I. 462 Again Arthur Street had passed through the hards.

1921 Ld. Craigmyle Lett. to Isabel 165 Has any one of them gone through the hards for education? Not one of them. I have.

1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood xvi. 262 ‘She's come through the hards, yer Aunt Sally,’ Geordie had said to Martha.

†P3.

a. to (also unto) the hard ——: right to, even to (the specified place or point); to the very or utmost (place or point). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > distance > nearness > near by [phrase] > close against

to the hard ——c1400

chock1782

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > greatly or very much [phrase] > utter

to the hard ——c1400

as or so very a1560

a fool (also man, etc.) in print1600

of the first (also finest, best, etc.) water1824

dyed in the wool1830

c1400 Brut (Rawl. B. 171) 243 (MED) Þe Scottes..brent tounes vnto þe herde erþe.

?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 189 Wee weren cast doun & beten down..to the hard erthe be wyndes and thondres.

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 28 Theire horse knees braste to the harde bone.

?1516 T. More Mery Gest He bare hyt oute, vnto the harde hedge.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) John ii. f. cxxj Fylled them vp to the harde brym.

a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. i. sig. A.iij Up is he to the harde eares in loue.

1665 R. Monsey Scarronides 79 Alecto unwilling to retard cutts, Caus'd him to shoot him to the hard gutts.

1815 C. Lloyd tr. V. Alfieri Conspiracy of Pazzi v. iii, in tr. V. Alfieri Trag. III. 366 To the hard extremity by force They have compell'd us.

b. at (also by) (the) hard ——: right at, completely at (the specified place or point). Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1487 J. Skelton tr. Diodorus Siculus Bibliotheca Historica iv. 289 Thise valiaunt women [sc. the Amazons] so nere enchaced theym at the harde heles.

?1520 J. Rastell Nature .iiii. Element sig. E.j^v I smot of his legge by the hard ars, As sone as I met hym there.

1528 T. More Dialogue Heresyes ii, in Wks. 187/1 I am in this matter euen at the harde wall, & se not how to go further.

1630 R. Norton tr. W. Camden Hist. Princesse Elizabeth ii. 103 That he might follow the report of his comming at the hard heeles.

1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World vi. 196 I kept all the canvass..at hard bats end.

†P4. on hard: with violence; furiously. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 845 He..Hewyt on hard with dyntis sad and sar.

1546 G. Joye Refut. Byshop Winchesters Derke Declar. f. cxxxvii^v If ye think yt Nicolas his eares be not stopt..kry on hard vpon him.

P5. hard of hearing: not able to hear well; somewhat or partially deaf; also as n. (with the and plural agreement) partially deaf people as a class.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of ear > disordered hearing > [adjective] > hard of hearing

hard of hearing1564

thick listed1579

deafish1611

dunny1708

1564 in F. J. Furnivall Child-marriages, Divorces, & Ratifications Diocese Chester (1897) 134 The testatrixe was hard of hearinge.

1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum vi. x. 745 The juyce of Sorrell dropped into the eares of such as are hard of hearing helpeth oftentimes.

1749 D. Garrick Lethe (new ed.) 13 What does he say, John—eh?—I am hard of Hearing.

1864 D. B. St. J. Roosa tr. A. F. von Tröltsch Dis. Ear xxiii. 230 The child, who was, properly speaking, only hard of hearing, grows more and more deaf and dumb.

1906 Outlook 6 Jan. 6/2 (advt.) New York School for the Hard-of-Hearing..instruction in lip-reading.

1950 Lancet 11 Nov. 532/2 Practical courses..on audiometry and hearing-aids, hard-of-hearing children, [etc.].

1991 Garden Apr. (Proceedings Suppl.) p. viii/1 On behalf of the hard of hearing, I would like to say how much we appreciate the installation of the loop which has enabled us..to hear what is going on.

2007 One in Seven Apr. 12/1 As your magazine title reminds us, there are millions of licence payers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

P6.

a. hard at: busily or energetically engaged in; esp. in hard at work.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > acting vigorously or energetically [phrase]

hard at1570

1570 J. God Disc. Great Crueltie of Widowe sig. B.iij^v Hard at woorke,..She skant would lift hir from her stoole where she as then did spin.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. i. 21 My Father Is hard at study; pray now rest your selfe, Hee's safe for these three houres.

1648 J. Lilburne Lawes Funerall 2 I..found both Judges and my Grandee Adversary, Soliciter, Sr. Iohn. &c. very hard at whispering discourse, near the Chancery Court.

1717 W. Nicolson London Diaries 4–8 July (1985) 664 P.m. Hard at my press-work.

1763 London Chron. 20 Jan. 1/1 They are likewise hard at work at Toulon on the construction of ships of war.

a1839 W. M. Praed Poems (1864) I. 321 Fair Childhood hard at play.

1871 Lady M. A. Barker Christmas Cake in Four Quarters iv. iii. 302 The quoits were got out, and the iron pegs stuck in the ground, and some of the shearers were soon hard at work pitching the heavy circlets through the air.

1900 T. Dreiser Sister Carrie ii. 17 A polished array of office fixtures, much frosted glass, clerks hard at work.

1947 Flying Sept. 74/1 In the upstairs office he looks like a student hard at study.

2008 C. Walsh Interns iii. 35 When I'm away from my desk, you make sure to tell people that I'm hard at work on our presentation.

b. hard at it: busily or energetically engaged in some action or process (specified or implied); working with great effort or intensity. Cf. at it at at prep. 16b.

ΚΠ

1590 Tarltons Newes out of Purgatorie 29 He hied him thither, and found them all hard at it by the teeth.

1636 H. Peacham Coach & Sedan sig. B4^v Their Masters who have bin hard at it, at the Taverne overnight, would..have lyen till nine or tenne.

1663 S. Pepys Diary 15 Apr. (1971) IV. 103 I to my office and there hard at it till almost noon.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. v. 32 Pray who hath been the Occasion of putting her into those violent Passions? Nay, who hath actually put her into them? Was not you and she hard at it before I came into the Room?

1762 L. Sterne Let. 19 Oct. in Lett. 1739–64 (2009) 294 Miss Shandy is hard at it with musick, dancing, and French speaking.

1811 J. Austen Let. 30 Apr. (1995) 186 By this time I suppose she is hard at it, governing away—poor creature!

1897 W. Beatty Secretar 182 I was hard at it raxing my brains trying to think.

1924 W. M. Raine Troubled Waters xxvii. 269 Pinto beans..were no sooner out and stacked than the men were hard at it putting in winter wheat.

1964 C. Willock Enormous Zoo i. 13 The circular saws were soon hard at it.

2005 Gay Times Dec. 12/1 Will's been hard at it lately—and not just at the gym.

†P7. to meet at hard edge: to clash swords in close conflict; also figurative. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > distance > nearness > near by [phrase] > closely or at close quarters

nearhand1548

to meet at hard edge1591

toe-to-toe1942

society > society and the community > dissent > fighting > [phrase] > so far as

to meet at hard edge1591

society > society and the community > dissent > fighting > [phrase] > at close quarters

hand to hand?a1400

at hand1565

to meet at hard edge1591

close quarters1809

at grips1857

corps à corps1890

the world > space > distance > nearness > [adverb] > contiguously > in position of contact

to meet at hard edge1591

1591 J. Harington tr. L. Ariosto Orlando Furioso xxxiii. lxxii. 273 They might a thousand times at hard-edg met, And neither blade thereby a gap would get.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xvii. 111 I will never meet at hard-edge with her.

†P8.

hard and sharp n. Obsolete a type of bridle having a curb bit and a single set of reins.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or management of horses > horse-gear > [noun] > bit

kevela1300

barnaclea1382

bitc1385

molanc1400

bridle bit1438

snafflea1533

titup1537

bastonet?1561

cannon?1561

scatch1565

cannon bit1574

snaffle-bit1576

port mouth1589

watering snaffle1593

bell-bit1607

campanel1607

olive1607

pear-bit1607

olive-bit1611

port bit1662

neck-snaffle1686

curb-bit1688

masticador1717

Pelham1742

bridoon1744

slabbering-bit1753

hard and sharp1787

Weymouth1792

bridoon-bit1795

mameluke bit1826

Chiffney-bit1834

training bit1840

ring snaffle1850

gag-snaffle1856

segundo1860

half-moon bit1875

stiff-bit1875

twisted mouth1875

thorn-bit1886

Scamperdale1934

bit-mouth-

1787 ‘G. Gambado’ Acad. Horsemen 22 (note) Were a pig to be driven in a hard and sharp, or a Weymouth.

1850 Sporting Mag. Jan. 47 We will suppose a man had a hack whose mouth was not good enough for a snaffle, a ‘hard and sharp’ was resorted to, probably a Pelham with a single rein.

†P9. in the hard: in hard cash. Obsolete. rare.Perhaps a typographical error for in the hand.

ΚΠ

1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. ii. i. 93 Four hundred and thirty-three dollars..counted out to me in the hard.

P10. Originally and chiefly U.S. to give (a person) a hard time: (a) to make life difficult for (a person); (b) to criticize or chastise (a person); to mock or tease.

ΚΠ

1837 Maine Farmer 4 Apr. 1/2 Old winter is fast leaving us. He has given us a hard time of it.]

1876 N.-Y. Times 31 Dec. 6/7 He..was hunted by detectives, who gave him a hard time.

1948 Harper's Mag. Aug. 72/1 Keep your sense of humor and don't give me a hard time because you can't always get the reservations you want.

1955 C. E. Mercer There comes Time xi. 153 He shook his head. ‘She's just giving him a hard time in the way she does everyone. Meanness, most call it.’

1974 ‘P. Mann’ Dog Day Afternoon (1975) xvii. 152 They gave him a hard time for several minutes, until Moretti showed up and busted ass for a while.

1990 N. Blei Chi Town 146 Nobody here gives me a hard time 'cept this mailman here... He tried to give me a knuckle sandwich the other day.

2005 New Yorker 3 Jan. 46/1 I remember him sitting in the bleachers and these guys around him giving him a hard time, calling him ‘Kush-Kush’.

P11. hard-to-get: difficult to obtain; (also) aloof, unapproachable. Cf. to play hard to get at play v. 28c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > discourtesy > [adjective] > not affable

strange1338

estrangec1374

formal?1518

cold1557

squeamish1561

icy1567

buckrama1589

repulsive1598

starched1600

unaffable1603

stiff1608

withdrawing1611

reserved1612

aloof1639

cool1641

uncordial1643

inaffable1656

staunch1659

standfra1683

distant1710

starcha1716

distancing1749

pokerish1779

buckramed1793

angular1808

easeless1811

touch-me-not1817

starchy1824

standoffish1826

offish1827

poker-backed1830

standoff1837

stiffish1840

chilly1841

unapproachable1848

hedgehoggy1866

sticky1882

hard-to-get1899

stand-away1938

princesse lointaine1957

1899 Washington Post 3 Apr. 7/1 (advt.) The hard-to-get Gray Mixed Cheviots, in four grades and exquisite shadings, 75c...a yard.

1938 Times of India 19 Feb. 18/5 (advt.) Follow the go getter and his hard-to-get girl in their madcap adventures around the whirl!

1951 P. G. Wodehouse Old Reliable xi. 132 Why are you pulling this hard-to-get stuff on Joe?

1981 Bon Appétit Nov. 225/3 (advt.) A plump delicacy so rare, so superior, so hard-to-get, it surpasses the cuisine of world famous restaurants.

2012 N. Dettmann Life Worth dreaming About vi. 90 They liked his bad-boy persona and hard-to-get attitude.

P12. the hard way: (in) the most difficult or unpleasant method of doing something; esp. through bitter experience; by one's own unaided efforts.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [phrase] > with difficulty > by the most difficult method

the hard way1914

1914 C. L. Burnham Right Track xv. 230 ‘You had to learn the hard way, did n't you?’ she said tenderly. ‘What do you mean? There is n't any other way in this awful world.’

1923 Lawrence (Kansas) Jrnl. World 11 Apr. 4/1 The reds appear to reason, why go about it the hard way when a short cut holds prospect of better results and in a much shorter time?

1954 M. Croft Spare Rod i. ii. 12 I'm starting you off the hard way.

1971 D. Lees Rainbow Conspiracy ix. 135 In the end I nearly found the reservoir the hard way.

2009 R. Garay Manship School x. 137 Veteran newspapermen who had come up the hard way, learning their skills in the hard school of experience.

Compounds

C1. Designating materials and objects characterized (with varying degrees of specificity) as firm, solid, resistant, etc.

hard brass n.

ΚΠ

1829 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 119 156 (table) Hard brass on cast iron.

1873 E. Spon Workshop Receipts 1st Ser. 10 Hard Brass, for Casting.—25 parts copper, 2 zinc, 4.5 tin.

2006 Internat. Jrnl. Impact Engin. 32 1991 There is a very slight variation in projectile fragment sizes for the hard brass targets in contrast to the soft (annealed) brass targets.

hard coke n.

ΚΠ

1813 J. M. Good et al. Pantologia at Iron In the same manner the furnaces burning soft cokes require narrower furnaces, than for hard cokes which have a similar quality as to their carbonic contents.

1961 Fowler's Mech. Engineer's Pocket Bk. (ed. 63) 181 Hard or Furnace Coke.—Varies in appearance, according to the method of manufacture.

2013 P. Basu Biomass Gasification, Pyrolysis & Torrefaction (ed. 2) v. 174 The coke oven in an iron and steel plant, which pyrolyzes..coking coal to produce hard coke used for iron extraction.

hard glaze n.

ΚΠ

1802 Jrnl. Nat. Philos. Oct. 107 (margin) The hard glaze does not run nor dilute the colours.

1982 S. Digby in Cambr. Econ. Hist. India I. v. 141 Yet another superior technology, that of hard-glaze ceramics, whether porcelain or stoneware, was a Far Eastern..monopoly which was not displaced till the eighteenth century.

2012 Ceramics Internat. 38 4902/1 Inversely, hard glaze could be scratch resistant and chemically durable due to high silica content.

hard pavior n.

ΚΠ

1819 Morning Post 18 Feb. 1/3 (advt.) West Indies.—Bricks for shipping... Bright, sound and hard paviors.

1904 G. F. Goodchild & C. F. Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. 280/1 Hard paviors.., malm bricks, over-burnt and slightly blemished in colour, used for paving, coping, etc.

1987 K. Gurcke Bricks & Brickmaking i. 37 There are also ‘hard paviours’ and ‘brown facing paviours’. Paviours should not be confused with paving bricks.

hard pitch n. [originally after classical Latin pix dūra]

ΚΠ

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxxviii. 970 A scrupil þerof [sc. gutta]..helpiþ wel aȝeins þe gowtes ymedlid wiþ hard picche [L. pice dura].

1553 H. Llwyd tr. Pope John XXI Treasury of Healthe (new ed.) sig. M.i Make a playster of lynnen coth and hard pitche.

1765 Philos. Trans. 1764 (Royal Soc.) 54 10 On cutting away the fillets which covered the tarsus, the bones adhered strongly together; and were covered with hard pitch.

2000 Fuel & Energy Abstr. 41 209/1 Coal tar pitch can be suitably processed to produce hard pitch of desired quality.

C2. Parasynthetic. See also hard-favoured adj., hard-featured adj., etc.

ΚΠ

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 4541 (MED) For þat strok had he non hoȝe, For he was þanne to-be-toȝe..With an hard crested serpentis fel.

?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xvi. 247 May I not reueale To th'old hard-fated Arcesiades Your safe returne?

1683 W. Kennett tr. Erasmus Witt against Wisdom 47 All these hard-nam'd fellows cannot make So great a figure as a single Quack.

1722 Coll. Misc. Lett. Mist's Weekly Jrnl. I. lxxxi. 238 I have a hard-favoured, hard-hearted, Iron-sided, hard-humoured Helpmate.

1754 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. (ed. 4) II. sig. Rrr/1 Osteospermum, hard-seeded chrysanthemum.

1812 Ann. Reg. 1810 (Otridge ed.) Antiquities 669/2 The Romans had eight kinds [of cherry],..a hard-fleshed one (duracina) like our bigarreau.

1845 Knickerbocker 25 446 The hard-bottomed chairs were the same, and the lounge, and the tall mahogany clock.

1891 T. Hardy Tess of the D'Urbervilles I. xvii. 215 The milkers formed quite a little battalion of men and maids, the men operating on the hard-teated animals.

1922 D. H. Lawrence Aaron's Rod (N.Y. ed.) xv. 210 Angus had been born in a house with a park, and of awful hard-willed, money-bound people.

1961 Webster's 3rd New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. Apron, an extensive usu. hard-surfaced area; esp. such an area used for stopping or parking automobiles.

1989 D. Okrent & S. Wulf Baseball Anecd. iv. 197 He was a bizarre spectacle, this naked old man parading through a room full of hard-muscled young athletes.

2013 N.Y. Mag. 16 Dec. 73/4 She's a hard-hided R&B singer who specializes in..songs about love and pain and resilience.

hard-boned adj.

ΚΠ

1789 T. Holcroft tr. J. C. Lavater Ess. Physiognomy III. v. 88 Those [inhabitants] of Schafhausen are hard boned [Ger. Der Schafhauser ist hartknochiger].

1860 Dublin Univ. Mag. July 21/2 This beautiful tesselation is quite unrivalled in fishes or any other animals, although the general contrivance is repeated with various modifications in the hard-boned fishes.

2008 Daily News (New Plymouth, N.Z.) (Nexis) 28 July 7 The team of hard-boned, hard-playing individuals who..created and ruggedly nurtured the aura of invincibility that imbued the All Blacks brand is gone.

hard-coated adj.

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1606 P. Holland tr. Suetonius Hist. Twelve Caesars 73 I eate an ounce weight of bread with a fewe hard coated Grapes [L. cum paucis acinis uvae duracinae].

1717 S. Collins Paradise Retriev'd 18 This faintness breeds a small yellow hard coated Worm.

1936 W. Stiles Introd. Princ. Plant Physiol. xv. 311 The hard-coated seeds of Crototaria striata are injured by exposure to water at temperatures above 50° C.

1992 N.Y. Times 21 Mar. 52/4 Hard-coated glass..is used frequently for removable storm panes, often advertised as ‘energy panels’.

hard-eyed adj.

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1792 Sentimental & Masonic Mag. Oct. 353 The hard-eyed usurer [was forced] to restore the sequestered pawn.

1844 R. W. Emerson Ess. 2nd Ser. (Boston ed.) ii. 51 Moaning women, and hard-eyed husbands.

1925 N.Y. Herald Tribune 13 Sept. v. 3/3 She submitted quietly to the embrace of the hard-eyed, carbuncled shyster Ivy Peters.

2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) x. 241 Many of the games their hard-eyed custodians demonstrated..were home-made, cottage-industry side benefits.

hard feathered adj.

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1591 R. Percyvall Bibliotheca Hispanica Dict. at Encañonarse las aves To be hard feathered.

1674 C. Cotton Compl. Gamester xxxviii. 218 Having taken them [sc. your Cocks] up, view them well, and see that they are sound, hard feather'd, and full summ'd, that is having all their feathers compleat.

1867 W. B. Tegetmeier Poultry Bk. xxii. 235 The ordinary farm-yard fowls show a strong likeness to the game breed, arising from the custom..of putting game cocks out ‘to walk’... The close, hard feathered, neat, compact fowls, seen in so many districts, evidently result from this custom.

2000 Cornish World Oct. 21/1 It is a ‘hard feathered’ breed that keeps its feathers close to its chest, and looks like the archetypal cartoon chicken.

hard-glazed adj.

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1767 tr. Tariff, or Bk. Rates 45 Linnen hard glazed, printed, or dyed.

1880 R. V. Tuson Cooley's Cycl. Pract. Receipts (ed. 6) I. 260/1 Enamelled, hard-glazed, or wooden vessels must be used with all of them [sc. acid baths].

1928 Daily Express 6 Oct. 11/7 A hard-glazed lacquer work upon tin-plate.

2002 W. Hughes Thirteenth Beach 149 Lustrous, like hard-glazed porcelain.

hard haired adj.

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a1625 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Two Noble Kinsmen (1634) iv. ii. 105 His head's yellow, Hard hayr'd, and curld.

1774 Daily Advertiser 10 Aug. (advt.) Lost on Sunday last, a large hard haired Brindle Dog..answers to the Name of Captain.

1987 D. F. Wallace Broom of Syst. xiv. 299 The hard-haired mothers stare without pity.

2002 D. Rice Small Dog Breeds 109/2 Breeders decided to form a class for Hard Haired Terriers that included the Westie, the Scottie, and the Cairn.

hard-leafed n.

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1867 D. Livingstone 31 Jan. in Last Jrnls. (1874) I. vii. 184 The hard-leafed acacia and mohempi abound.

1908 Bull. Bureau Plant Industry 16 18 In such cases lettuce leaves (of the hard-leafed varieties) may be temporarily used.

2007 J. Manning Field Guide to Fynbos 11/2 Fynbos is characteristically a hard-leafed, relatively open shrubland, about 1–3 m tall.

hard-leaved adj.

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1682 S. Gilbert Florists Vade-mecum 104 Narrow leav'd, or soft Anemonies, are more valued than the broad or hard leaved ones.

1764 J. Hill Veg. Syst. VI. 15 (heading) Hard-leaved gummweed.

1866 Pall Mall Gaz. 22 May 6/1 Aloes and other hard-leaved plants of that description form effective points.

1926 J. Masefield Odtaa xiii. 223 Hi crackled through some hard-leaved scrub.

2007 T. Griffiths Slicing Silence 80 The hard-leaved vegetation emerged from within the rainforest to dominate and diversify.

hard-lipped adj.

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1846 E. Bulwer-Lytton Lucretia I. i. 14 Not one..not the thoughtful scholar, nor his fair-haired hard-lipped son..would so have arrested the eye.

1922 J. Bower Rim o' World xviii. 226 To strike the man on his fish-like, hard-lipped mouth would only make matters worse.

1961 John o' London's 6 July 57/2 One of his virtuoso essays in hard-lipped sensitivity.

2012 S. Thompson Communion Town 121 While he creased himself up, Dolly Common hung back, hard-lipped.

hard-minded adj.

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1782 London Mag. Mar. 136/1 Some cold, hard-minded, positive disputants.

1879 Mind 4 344 Such also is the attitude of all hard-minded analysts.

1921 H. G. Wells Russia in Shadows iv. 113 A certain section of the Bolsheviks are hard-minded, doctrinaire and unteachable men.

2005 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 20 Oct. 52/2 Evolutionists may glide from the firm surface of hard-minded methodology..into the sloth of unreflective metaphysical naturalism.

hard-natured adj.

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1569 N. Haward tr. Seneca Line of Liberalitie ii. vii. f. 43^v Fabius verucosus was wont to lyken and compare, the benefit whiche any hard natured man [L. ab homine duro aspere] with paine dyd, to grauely or greety bread.

1657 J. Davies tr. V. de Voiture Lett. i. xlviii. 92 How hard-natur'd soever you may be, methinks you cannot do me a greater injury then that of not seeing you.

1767 Hist. Miss Pittborough I. xxv. 160 What bitter imprecations did I now utter against myself and the hard-natured Kitty.

1823 J. Clare Let. 11 Sept. (1985) 285 Sombody has sent me this morning a ‘Sunday Times’..with a hardnaturd puff in it.

1919 Survey 4 Jan. 433/1 Others have fallen among hard-natured people, and their helpless condition has been shamelessly exploited.

2011 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 24 July The gentle side of me comes from Mum. I'm not as hard-natured as Dad.

hard-spirited adj.

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1651 J. Goodwin Confidence Dismounted 7 Such hard-spirited men as you and some others are.

1830 Millennial Harbinger 5 July 317 I cannot help pitying this poor, bigoted, hard-spirited old man!!

1906 S. Atlantic Q. Apr. 114 His father was a hard spirited, cultured, dogmatic, and unsympathetic archdeacon.

2013 Hobart Mercury (Nexis) 17 Oct. 44 To react the way we have was just what we wanted after a hard-spirited performance.

hard-textured adj.

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1851 New Zealand 15 in Chambers's Papers for People XI Beautiful furniture has been made..from some of these finely-grained, hard-textured, brilliantly-polished woods.

1937 E. Sitwell I live under Black Sun 141 A sour hard-textured unripe plum.

2008 C. Shaeffer Fabric Sewing Guide ii. 63/1 Worsteds are used to make..hard-textured fabrics such as gabardine.

hard-timbered adj.

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a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) ii. i. 55 Hewes downe and fells the hardest-tymber'd Oake.

1832 Brit. Mag. Nov. 281 What is called hard timbered land, where the maple, beech,..and tulip tree, &c. are found.

1906 Bee Keeper's Rev. 15 May 139/2 It is in these hard-timbered belts that we must look for the honey-yielding berries.

2008 Daily News (New Plymouth, N.Z.) (Nexis) 11 Mar. 14 There were still large, hard-timbered trees to chop down with their axes before digging out the stumps.

hard-visaged adj.

ΚΠ

1716 tr. A. R. Le Sage Gil Blas I. iii. iii. 263 He was tall, hard-visag'd [Fr. il avoit le visage long, avec un nez de perroquet]; and tho' he was not ugly, yet he had something in his Face that was shocking.

1832 J. P. Kennedy Swallow Barn I. v. 61 The..rank and file of the school-room..were collected in one silent and wistful group at the door, with their hard-visaged commander towering above their heads.

1922 Amer. Mag. May 159/1 Brilliant journalists have found themselves totally unable to respond when some steely-eyed and hard-visaged plutocrat or statesman suddenly turned on them.

2000 E. H. Simmons Dog Company Six ii. 18 The small square identification picture showed a dark, hard-visaged man.

hard-walled adj.

ΚΠ

1857 M. J. Berkeley Introd. Cryptogamic Bot. 520 (note) The rhizoma..is scraped so as to avoid including the hard walled tissue.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. viii. 152 In the muscular hard-walled gizzard of the earthworm the particles of soil are broken into finer dust.

2013 USA Today (Nexis) 27 Sept. 1 c The makeshift locker, weight and training rooms are in a hard-walled tent next to the practice field.

C3. In the names of plants. See also hardbeam n., hard fern n. hardhack n., hardhead n.² 5, hardwood n. 2.

hard corn n. (also †corn hard) (a) any of various crops (including cereals and beans) that have a hard grain or are winter hardy, esp. wheat and rye (now historical and rare); (b) (originally and chiefly U.S.) a type of maize having particularly hard kernels; cf. flint corn n. at flint n. Compounds 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > rye and wheat mixed > plants producing

hard corna1399

blend corn?1523

numcorn1570

triticale1952

a1399 in W. G. Benham Oath Bk. Colchester (1907) 10 (MED) Of alle maner cornys hard that comth to the toun, a pynte of a bussel; and for malt and ote a pynte be hepe.

1468 Maldon (Essex) Liber B. f. 14 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 356 (MED) Hard corn..that is, of whete, rye, barley, pesyn, and benes.

a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 356 The said Iamys resceived of her ij acris I-sowe of hard corne [L. duro blado].

1578 in F. Collins Wills & Admin. Knaresborough Court Rolls (1902) I. 135 Hard corne threshed and unwindowed.

1646 in J. W. Clay Yorkshire Royalist Composition Papers (1893) I. 94 350 stooks hardecorn, 49 stooks barley.

1726 J. Laurence New Syst. Agric. i. iv. 83 Wheat, Barley, Beans, or other hard Corn.

1846 N. Carolina Farmer June 15 Our Northern hard corn is oily, and what is termed Pop Corn, owes its peculiar property to its oily nature.

1973 I. Kershaw Bolton Priory ii. 42 The 1317 harvest produced a mixed bag of yields of hard corn.

2003 S. Nottingham Eat Your Genes (ed. 2) xii. 134 Flint or hard corn, with large floury kernels, is turned into animal feeds and used in a wide range of processed foods.

hard fescue n. (more fully hard fescue-grass) any of several tough-leaved fescues, (now) esp. Festuca trachyphylla (also called F. brevipila) and F. longifolia, both native to Europe, used in sports turf and lawns.

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1762 W. Hudson Flora Anglica 36 Anglis, hard Fescue-grass.

1895 M. J. Sutton Permanent & Temporary Pastures (ed. 5) 52 Hard Fescue forms one of the principal constituents of the sheep pastures of this country.

1937 S. F. Armstrong Brit. Grasses (ed. 3) x. 205 In commerce ‘Hard Fescue’ and ‘Sheep's Fescue’ are almost interchangeable.

2004 House & Garden Aug. 56/3 If I want a truly care-free lawn, I should plant a superior variety of hard fescue (Festuca longifolia).

hard grass n. any of numerous coarse dry grasses, (now) esp. Parapholis strigosa, of coastal areas in Europe, and Sclerochloa dura, found in disturbed ground in Eurasia (and introduced into Australia and the Americas).

ΚΠ

1597 J. Gerard Herball i. ii. 3 Small hard grasse hath small rootes compact of little strings or threds.

1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum xiii. x. 1157 (heading) Gramen panicula multiplici. Medow hard grasse with manifold tufts.

1771 T. Martyn Catalogus Horti Botanici Cantabrigiensis 14 Rough Cock's-foot Grass, or Hard Grass.

1825 G. Sinclair Hortus Gramineus Woburnensis (ed. 2) 68 Rottboellia. Hard-grass.

1961 R. W. Butcher New Illustr. Brit. Flora II. 978 Parapholis (Lepturus) incurva. The curved hard-grass is a small, tufted annual with many erect, curved stems 1–6 in. high.

2006 J. Jessop et al. Grasses S. Austral. 166 Sclerochloa dura... Hard meadow-grass, hard grass.

hardhay n. any of several Eurasian St John's worts having somewhat hard stalks, esp. St Peter's wort, Hypericum tetrapterum, of damp habitats (now rare) and perforate St John's wort, H. perforatum, of dry grasslands. [Perhaps after early modern Dutch harthoy perforate St John's wort (1554 in Dodoens, or earlier; Dutch hertshooi , with remodelling of the first element by association with hert hart n.). Compare German Hartheu (1561 as †harthöuw).]

ΚΠ

1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 434 S. Peters woort, Square or great S. Iohns grasse: and of some Hardhay.

1665 R. Lovell Παμβοτανολογια (ed. 2) 190 Hard-hay, see S. Peters-wort.

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. I. 569/2 Hardhay. Hypericum quadrangulare.

1933 H. Laurens Physiol. Effects Radiant Energy xiv. 509 White sheep that have eaten Hypericum crispum (the crisp or cured Hard Hay) grown in boggy soil, become very sick.

1998 Daily News (N.Y.) (Nexis) 16 Nov. (Health & Fitness section) 33 The scientific name for St.-John's-wort is Hypericum Perforatum, for example, but it is also called Hardhay, Amber, Goatweed and Tipton Weed.

2009 N. Arrowsmith Essent. Herbal Wisdom 267 The herb [sc. Hypericum perforatum] is still called hardhay, penny John, rosin rose, tough-and-heal, cammock, amber, and balm of the warrior's wound.

† hard how n. [ < hard adj. + a second element of unknown origin] Obsolete rare the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis.

ΚΠ

1597 J. Gerard Herball App. Hardhow is Marygolds.

1665 R. Lovell Παμβοτανολογια (ed. 2) 190 Hard how, see Marigolds.

hard maple n. chiefly North American the sugar maple, Acer saccharinum; the wood of this tree.

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1751 Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar 12 145 Sugar-maple, Sugartree, Sugarwood, Black maple, Hard maple.

1898 G. Pinchot Adirondack Spruce 20 This ability to tolerate heavy shade is common to large numbers of forest trees, among which both the Beech and the Hard Maple excel the Spruce in this regard.

1993 Canad. Living May 32 The menu stars fresh Cape Breton lamb..and maple syrup from nearby stands of hard maple.

2000 Jrnl. Soc. Archer-Antiquaries 43 16/2 The wood closely resembled hard maple (Acer saccharum).

hard pine n. any of various coniferous trees of the genus Pinus that yield hard wood, spec. those of the subgenus Pinus; (also) the wood of any of these trees.In quot. 1531 the exact sense is uncertain.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > conifers > [noun] > pines and allies > pitch-pines

hard pine1531

pitch tree1538

torch-tree1601

pitch pine1662

piceaster1664

pitch1674

pitch fir1726

swamp pine1851

1531 G. Joye tr. Prophete Isaye xliiii. sig. L.iiij^v To karye home y^e harde pyne trees [L. cedros], okes, & siche oth^r trees of the wode.

1797 J. Sullivan Let. 18 Dec. in Weekly Mag. (1798) 30 June 273/1 Six logs of hard pine, laid in a trench, each having a caliber of three and an half inches.

1890 Boston (Mass.) Jrnl 3 Nov. (advt.) A valuable tract of hard-pine timber-land.

1910 Amer. Naturalist 44 286 The nut-pine of Italy is a hard pine.

2003 Novon 13 281 A remarkable population of a hard pine (=Pinus subg. Pinus)..was found.

hard rush n. any of several rushes having relatively hard stems, (now) spec. Juncus inflexus of Europe, having coarse greyish stems.

ΚΠ

1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum xvii. cxxvi. f. 312^v/1 Fiue kindes of rushes are written of: Mariscus the candle rush, Iuncus acutus, the hard rush and fenne rush, [etc.].

1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum xiii. xxxi. 1192 (heading) Iuncus asper sive Acutus. Hard or Sharpe Rushes.

1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scotica I. 183 [Juncus inflexus] Hard-Rush. Anglis. Upon the shores on the coast of Fife.

1864 M. Plues Rambles in Search of Wild Flowers (ed. 2) xvi. 293 The Hard Rush..is slender, tough, and glaucous.

1960 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Antiquaries Ireland 90 83 Mosses and the ‘hard rush’ are conspicuous.

2011 N. Lucas Designing with Grasses ii. 21 (caption) The hard rush, Juncus inflexus.., thrives in even wetter parts of the meadow.

hard tinder fungus n. rare a bracket fungus, Phellinus igniarius (family Hymenochaetaceae), having particularly hard fruiting bodies.

ΚΠ

1859 W. S. Coleman Our Woodlands 74 Gigantic specimens of the Hard-tinder fungus (Boletus igniarius).

1955 H. Bastin Plants Without Flowers v. 68 In this country [sc. Britain] the hard tinder fungus is almost confined to willows.

hard wheat n. wheat of any variety having a hard grain rich in gluten, used esp. to make bread.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > wheat > types of wheat grain or plant

spelta1000

farc1420

ador?1440

flaxen wheat?1523

Peak-wheat?1523

red wheat?1523

white wheat?1523

duck-bill wheat1553

zea1562

alica1565

buck1577

amelcorn1578

horse-flower1578

tiphe1578

pollard1580

rivet1580

Saracen's corn1585

French wheat1593

Lammas-wheat1594

starch corn1597

St. Peter's corn1597

frumenty1600

secourgeon1600

polwheat1601

duck-wheat1611

kidneys of wheat1611

ograve wheat1616

soft wheat1640

cone-wheat1677

Lammas1677

Poland wheat1686

Saracen corn1687

pole rivet1707

Smyrna wheat1735

hard wheat1757

hen corn1765

velvet wheat1771

white straw1771

nonpareil1805

thick-set wheat1808

cone1826

farro1828

Polish wheat1832

velvet-ear wheat1837

sarrasin1840

mummy wheat1842

snowdrop1844

Red Fife1857

flint-wheat1859

dinkel1866

thick-set1875

spring1884

macaroni wheat1901

einkorn1904

marquis1906

durum1908

emmer1908

hedgehog wheat1909

speltoid1939

1757 Herald 8 Dec. 77 Of all soft grain, ours has generally the preference about five or six per cent. but hard wheat is intrinsically better than ours from twelve to twenty-five per cent.

1843 Penny Cycl. XXVII. 301/2 There are three principal varieties... These are the hard wheats, the soft wheats, and the Polish wheats.

1908 Westm. Gaz. 1 July 6/3 The hard-wheat lands of Canada.

2005 Delicious Nov. 108/2 (heading) Strong white. Also called bread flour, this is milled from hard wheat with a high gluten content.

C4.

hard-anodized adj. Metallurgy anodized so as to have a relatively thick surface coating, giving greater resistance to wear and corrosion.

ΚΠ

1951 U.S. Patent 2,567,877 3 For hard anodized coatings a 10 per cent sulfuric acid solution proves suitable, but that for soft coatings a 70 per cent sulfuric acid solution functions well.

1973 Motor Boating & Sailing Jan. 300/2 (advt.) The unique Wrapp Cleat comes in..three finishes (chrome plated zinc, polished aluminum and black hard-anodized aluminum).

2002 Fly Fisherman Feb. 39/1 Rods have hard-anodized reel seats with double-locking rings.

hardbag n. a form of electronic dance music popular in the mid to late 1990s, derived from techno and incorporating elements of handbag (handbag n. 2c) and house music.Recorded earliest in attributive use.

ΚΠ

1994 Personal Playlists in alt.music.techno (Usenet newsgroup) 17 Nov. Desoto—Pay A Lil' Attention (Si BRad & Czaz Hardbag Mix) (L'attitude).

1995 Face Jan. 130/3 There's a new single, ‘Whodunnit’ out on React this month, which she describes as ‘hardbag’—a cross between hard house and handbag.

2013 J. Cook Byron Easy iv. 238 Every night his room..would shake to the subterranean bass of techno, hardbag, ragga.

hard-based adj. having a hard or firm base (literal or figurative).With quot. 1959 cf. sense A. 11.

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1832 Medico-chirurg. Trans. 17 340 The disease begins in irritable pimple..and this breaks into hard based and spreading ulcer.

1936 Geogr. Jrnl. 87 205 Hard based tussocks of long grass.

1959 Listener 31 Dec. 1140/1 Within a few years it will have at its disposal enough ‘hard-based’ missiles..to make it impossible for any surprise attack to succeed at all.

2001 R. Filippini et al. in R. G. Schroeder & B. B. Flynn High Performance Manufacturing ii. 25 These two are..largely representative of the progress of all the soft-based and hard-based initiatives studied.

† hard bit n. [ < hard adj. + bit n.²] slang Obsolete rare an erect penis; cf. sense B. 9, hard-on n.

ΚΠ

1893 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang III. 269/1 Hard-bit (or bit of hard). 1. The penis in erection.

hard bop n. a form of bop (bop n.²) originating in the mid 1950s, incorporating elements of blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel music; cf. funk n.² 3.Recorded earliest in attributive use.

ΚΠ

1957 N.Y. Amsterdam News 8 June 26/4 John (Jackie) Mclean..described as a ‘hard bop’ bandleader, was held in $5,000 bail in Felony Court after his apprehension in East Harlem with an alleged eighth-ounce of heroin in his possession.

1957 New Yorker 26 Oct. 174/2 One of the leaders of an increasingly fashionable school of modern jazz called..‘hard bop’ or ‘funky’ is Horace Silver.

2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 20 Apr. (Front section) 27/2 Mr. Butler and Columbia soon became a nexus for the Young Lions, young musicians playing hard bop or traditional styles with polished technique.

hard bread n. now chiefly Canadian (esp. Newfoundland) (as a mass noun) any of various types of hard, dry biscuit; spec. (a) oatcakes; (b) Newfoundland thick, oval-shaped biscuits baked without salt and dried in a kiln; cf. hardtack n. 1a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > biscuit > [noun] > other biscuits

dorcake14..

cracknelc1440

hard breada1500

crackling1598

Naples biscuit1650

gingerbread man1686

chocolate biscuit1702

biscotin1723

sponge biscuit1736

maple biscuita1753

butter biscuit1758

nut1775

Oliver biscuit1786

funeral biscuit1790

rock biscuit?1790

ratafia1801

finger biscuit1812

Savoy drop1816

lady's finger1818

snap1819

Abernethy1830

pretzel1831

wine-biscuit1834

gingersnap1838

captain's biscuit1843

lebkuchen1847

simnel1854

sugar cookie1854

peppernut1862

McClellan pie1863

Savoy ring1866

Brown George1867

beaten biscuit1876

digestive1876

Osborne1876

Bath Oliver1878

marie1878

boer biscuit1882

charcoal biscuit1885

biscotti1886

fairing1888

snickerdoodle1889

pfeffernuss1891

zwieback1894

Nice1895

Garibaldi biscuit1896

Oswegoc1900

squashed fly1900

amaretto1905

boerebeskuit1905

Romary1905

petit beurre1906

Oswego biscuit1907

soetkoekie1910

Oreo1912

custard cream1916

Anzac1923

sweet biscuit1929

langue de chat1931

Bourbon biscuit1932

Afghan1934

flapjack1935

Florentine1936

chocolate chip cookie1938

choc chip cookie1940

Toll House cookie1940

tuile1943

pizzelle1949

black and white1967

Romany Cream1970

papri1978

a1500 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 739/37 Hoc colifium, hardbred.

1685 G. Sinclair Satans Invisible World Discovered xi. 89 Give me a peice of that hard bread (for so they call their Oat Cakes).

1781 Heath in R. Putnam Mem. (1903) 187 The major is gone to the commissary to obtain some hard bread if possible.

1857 W. Chandless Visit Salt Lake ii. 11 What we call rolls, in America are ycleped biscuits, and biscuits in their turn hard bread.

1905 G. E. Cole Early Oregon i. 12 Having no salt junk or hard bread left.

1975 Evening Telegram (St. John's, Newfoundland) 28 June 16 If you were flahoola with the money you could buy a slice of baloney there, and a cake of hardbread all for five cents.

2012 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 11 Apr. l. 2 He had just received a package..filled with various ingredients from Newfoundland, including Screech, hard bread, dried savoury and salt cod.

hard candy n. chiefly North American hard confectionery made of boiled sugar with added flavouring and (typically bright) colouring; a piece of such confectionery; cf. boiled sweet n.In early use not a fixed collocation (see, e.g., quot. 1664); cf. candy n.² 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > hard sweet

rock sugar1652

rock candy1653

rock1718

hard candy1848

1664 Court & Kitchin Joan Cromwel sig. I^v Let the other part of your sugar be ready candy'd to a hard candy.]

1848 Columbus (Georgia) Times 3 Oct. (advt.) He is now constantly manufacturing his celebrated hard candies.

1927 Manufacturing Confectioner Jan. 12 (heading) What is the shelf life of your hard candy?

2014 M. Richmond Golden State x. 60 She glanced at me and pulled a hard candy out of her pocket. ‘Butterscotch?’

hard-cased adj. having a hard case (in various senses of case n.²); spec. (of a book) = hardbacked adj. 3.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > book > kind of book > book of specific form or colour > [adjective] > having specific type of cover > hard

hard-covered1820

boarded1842

casebound1890

hardback1904

hardbacked1906

hardbound1906

hard-shelled1907

hardcover1939

hard-cased1951

1820 J. Crawfurd Hist. Indian Archipel. III. ix. iv. 397 A small hole at the side or base of the nut..out of which a hard cased black fly may be seen to spring.

1875 Hardwicke's Sci.-gossip 11 276/1 The hard-cased sporules of the Lycopodium are filled with a peculiar oil.

1951 Publishers' Weekly 2 June 2357 Using the conventional method, eight to ten hours is a fair estimate of the time required to build in each batch of hard-cased books.

2013 M. L. Springer Project & Program Managem. (ed. 2) ix. 112 The entire operating system fit onto a 128k floppy drive, which wasn't really floppy at all (it was a hard-cased 3.5-inch disk).

hard charger n. U.S. (a) Sport (chiefly American Football and Motor Racing) a player or competitor who charges or races forcefully or aggressively; (b) originally Military slang an energetic, enterprising, and ambitious person, a go-getter.

ΚΠ

1902 Hamilton Lit. Mag. Dec. 168 He is a hard charger, perfectly accurate in passing the ball; he never fumbles.

1925 Ogden (Utah) Standard Examiner 22 Nov. 13/2 He is a hard charger, fast in stepping down the field and a deadly tackler.

1951 Marine Corps Gaz. Sept. 42/1 If the reader is..an officer contemplating recommending some hard charging NCO... Permit me to tell you about..the hard chargers of '41.

1966 Arizona Republic 17 Apr. b1/2 We need..a knight in shining armor, a real hard charger who can lead the community to achieve these goals.

1979 Washingtonian May 181/1 The best officers are quickly tagged as ‘hard-chargers, fast-burners, water-walkers’.

1998 Sunday Times (Nexis) 21 June Formula One is best contested between hard-chargers, searching constantly for the opportunity to overtake and battle.

2009 J. Jennings Hit Ground Running iii. 67 I was always the hard charger shouting ‘Out of my way’ and too busy climbing the ladder to ask for help.

hard cheddar n. and int. colloquial (originally and chiefly British) hard luck; cf. hard cheese n. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [noun] > misfortune or ill-luck

un-i-limpOE

unlimpc1175

mishap?c1225

unhap?c1225

mishappeningc1230

ames-ace?a1300

misadventure?a1300

ill hailc1300

misauntera1325

untiminga1325

miscasec1325

mischancec1325

misfall1340

misfarea1387

casec1390

infortunea1393

mishapping?a1400

unchancea1400

disadventurea1413

mischieving1432

infortuny?a1439

encumbermentc1440

misfortune1441

evil hail?c1450

malfortunea1470

unhappiness1470

maleurtee?1473

malheur?1473

evil health1477

unfortune1483

wanfortunea1500

disfortune1509

wanhap1513

ill, evil ch(i)eving?1518

mislucka1530

ill luck1548

unfortunacy?c1550

evilfare1556

unluck1556

hard luck1567

bad luck1575

miscasualty1588

disgrace1590

wanchance1599

disventure1612

misaccident1620

miscarriagec1625

hard lines1722

mishanter1754

malefit1755

miscanter1781

hard cheese1854

hard cheddar1893

schlimazel1911

tough luck1912

snake eyes1918

catch-arse1970

1893 Huddersfield Daily Chron. 16 June 4/2 The victorious career of the Hall Bower eleven in the Alliance No. 2 has received a slight check, and they have my sympathy in what may be called rather ‘hard Cheddar’.

1931 ‘N. Bell’ Life & Andrew Otway 465 No, I don't see how you can blame the bleedin' government. Hard cheddar on you but—.

2012 T. Drury Megan's Game iii. 44 Hard cheddar. So your Dad's in prison.

hard chine n. Nautical a boat's hull with a distinct angle between the bottom and the side (cf. chine n.³ 2b); frequently attributive, esp. designating such a hull or a boat built with one.

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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > [noun] > types of hull

round bilge1859

hard chine1912

1912 Motor Boat Man. (ed. 5) v. 44 ‘Miranda IV’..has a single step... The hard chine or angular bilge is not an essential feature.

1951 Engineering 8 June 680/2 The appraisal of the respective merits and demerits of round-bilge, hard-chine and stepped hulls is fair and temperate.

2005 Mariner's Mirror 91 586/1 The 12ft hard-chine punt, or ‘skiff’, [was] got over the side.

hard chined adj. (of a boat) having a hard chine.

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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > [adjective] > having specific type of hull > specific

bilgeda1522

full-bottomed1784

hard chined1936

multihulled1956

multihull1960

1936 U. Fox Sail & Power xix. 141 The owner of the round-bottomed cruiser says that the hard-chined express cruiser is unworthy. This is entirely wrong.

1948 Motorboating Jan. 85/1 Another typically Frisian ship is the ‘Schouw’. It is an inexpensive, hard-chined little boat, with fore and aft transoms.

2010 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 22 Oct. Overload—a hard chined 9.1m Elliott design owned by Scott Randall—finished in 10 hours and 53 minutes.

hard cider n. North American an alcoholic drink made from fermented apple juice; = cider n. Additions.Variously contrasted with cider, soft cider, or apple cider, all of which terms are used to denote unfiltered, unfermented apple juice.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > cider > [noun]

ciderc1315

pomadec1400

pomacec1450

pommage1576

apple water1606

pomatum1657

hard cider1786

1786 Vermont Jrnl. 25 Apr. 3/2 Take a six quart jug of old hard cider, put therein..one double handful of parsley roots, [etc.].

1798 F. Asbury Jrnl. 1 Jan. (1821) II. 304 I am now taking an extraordinary diet—drink made of one quart of hard cider,..one handful of fennel seed, and one handful of wormwood.

1840 Congress. Globe 13 Feb. 197/3 He had heard..the same arguments preached nine hundred and ninety-nine times over a barrel of hard cider.

1910 J. Hart Vigilante Girl 207 Did you ever tackle that Jersey beverage called ‘Stone Fence’?.. It's made of whiskey and hard cider.

2008 National Post (Canada) (Nexis) 28 June jv 7 Locally produced fare, including organically grown vegetables, strawberries, apples and, more recently, wine and hard cider.

hard clam n. an edible marine bivalve mollusc, Mercenaria mercenaria (family Veneridae), native to the eastern coast of North America; also called quahog, hardshell clam.Contrasted with soft clam n. at soft adj. Compounds 2c.

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1825 N.Y. Minerva 16 July 236/1 The myas and the venus, or the soft and hard clams, as the people call them.

1934 F. M. Farmer Boston Cooking-School Cook Bk. xiii. 171 Manhattan Clam Chowder, 1 pint hard clams, finely chopped... 2 cups stewed tomatoes, strained if desired.

2013 Newsday (N.Y.) (Nexis) 16 Oct. a14 Brown tide algae..[have] returned to Long Island's South Shore at a time of year that helps set next spring's hard-clam reproductive season.

hard copy n. computer data or text printed on paper; a printed paper version of a digital document or record.

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society > computing and information technology > hardware > peripherals > [noun] > printer > printout

printout1953

hard copy1954

dump1956

1954 Proc. Western Computer Conf. 166 The reels of printed dot paper tape are mounted on the output typewriter, read photoelectrically, and the output typewriter types out hard copy at the rate of ten digits per second.

1984 Personal Software Winter 54/2 An option is given for this translation to be output..to a printer for a permanent hard copy.

2008 Magnet No. 79. 10/1 Being something of a Luddite, I still need hard copy for both print and music.

hard coral n. any of numerous corals having a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate; (now) spec. those constituting the order Scleractinia, typically found on coral reefs; also as a mass noun; cf. stony coral n. at stony adj. Compounds 3.Contrasted with soft coral n. at soft adj. Compounds 2c.

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1822 W. J. Hort Introd. Nat. Hist. 146 The most remarkable of the hard corals is the genus Gorgonia.

1935 Jrnl. Paleontol. 9 95/1 Of present boreal-arctic characteristics may be mentioned:... Absence of hard corals and other reef builders.

2004 Dive Sept. 87/1 A combination of illegal dynamite fishing, the 1997–98 El Niño and a crown-of-thorns infestation decimated the hard coral in the shallows.

hard-covered adj. having a hard cover or coating; esp. (of a book) = hardbacked adj. 3.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > book > kind of book > book of specific form or colour > [adjective] > having specific type of cover > hard

hard-covered1820

boarded1842

casebound1890

hardback1904

hardbacked1906

hardbound1906

hard-shelled1907

hardcover1939

hard-cased1951

1820 N. Georgia Gaz. 14 Feb. 94/2 Bringing the nails of each finger, beginning with the little one, in quick succession.., upon a hard-covered book.

1912 M. E. Hall Candy-making Revolutionized viii. 79 In taste, the grapes are much like the usual hard-covered almonds.

1996 A. Michaels Fugitive Pieces i. 156 I decided on the slim hardcovered Psalms, bound in red leather.

2006 S. Winther Sci. Truth Golf Swing iii. 19 When I started playing golf in 1982, most club golfers played hard-covered balls with solid rubber cores for maximum distance.

† hard-dirt n. Obsolete rare broken bricks, rubble, or other solid waste material; cf. hardcore n. 1.

ΚΠ

1851 H. Mayhew London Labour II. 281/1 ‘Hard-dirt’, or ‘hard-core’, consisting of the refuse bricks, chimney-pots,..broken bottles,..oyster-shells, &c., which form part of the contents of the dustman's cart.

hard doer n. Australian and New Zealand. = hard case n. 3b; cf. doer n. 5.In quot. 1900 with reference to a boat.

ΚΠ

1900 Cootamundra (New S. Wales) Herald 4 July Her nose was smashed up and bent in, she did look a hard doer.

1906 Ellesmere (N.Z.) Guardian 29 Aug. 2 Bob's a real hard doer.

1928 Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Feb. 21/1 Give me the real hard-doer, give me the decent chap.

1955 F. Lane Patrol to Kimberleys 85 There was some ruddy hard-doers in the lot-blokes who shunned work like it was the plague.

2013 Sunday Star-Times (Auckland, N.Z.) (Nexis) 8 Sept. 8 He was a hard doer. He was a drinker, he was a smoker, he said it like it was.

hard dot n. Printing a dot with a sharp edge, esp. as forming a half-tone image.

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society > communication > printing > printed matter > arrangement or appearance of printed matter > [noun] > specific types of print

proclamation-print1592

Geneva print1606

fine print1761

black letter1811

newswork1820

hard dot1913

miniprint1975

1913 Printing Art Nov. 216/2 Very often a negative is required with the highlights closed up fine, with a very fine hard dot in the shadows.

1961 Penrose Ann. LV. 135 (title) The hard-dot positive in gravure.

2008 Graphic Arts Monthly (Nexis) Oct. 20 The design is capable of jetting many types of inks... It gives a good, sharp-edged hard dot, essential to high-end work.

hard ecu n. [ < hard adj. + ECU n. at E n.¹ Initialisms] now historical a proposed monetary unit intended to be used alongside European national currencies and managed by a European monetary fund, as an alternative to or intermediate step towards a single European currency; see ECU n. at E n.¹ Initialisms.Proposed by John Major, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 1990, in response to the proposal of the President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, for a single currency and European bank.

ΚΠ

1990 Independent 17 May 27/7 Rather than rushing to a common currency a ‘hard’ ECU could be made the point of reference of the system, always as strong as the strongest currency within it.

1990 J. Major in Financial Times 21 June i. 10/4 In my view, the best approach is the creation of a new ‘hard Ecu’. Under this approach the Ecu would no longer be defined as a basket of currencies but would become a genuine currency in its own right.

2005 Financial Times 10 Sept. 8/1 Britain..once proposed a ‘hard ecu’ to compete with Europe's national monies.

hard-edge n. a style of abstract painting which came to prominence in the 1960s, characterized by sharply defined geometric shapes and blocks of bright colour; frequently (and in earliest use) attributive.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [noun] > other qualities or styles

pastositya1806

touchiness1813

scene painting1834

horror vacui1845

texture1845

daguerreotypism1846

fruitiness1869

tintiness1886

posterishness1930

painterliness1950

non-figuration1955

simultaneity1957

hard-edge1961

figuration1962

colourfield1967

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [adjective] > other qualities or styles

plangent1666

dry1695

sticky1753

flat1755

spotty1798

touchy1809

definitive1815

edgy1825

painty1827

scratchy1827

unideal1838

tinglish1855

generalist1858

tinny1877

Christmas-cardy1883

tinty1883

surfacy1887

chocolate box1892

chocolate-boxy1894

Christmas card1895

juicy1897

candy box1898

pastose1901

busy1909

pompier1914

posterish1914

painterly1932

X-ray1940

illusional1942

all-over1948

figurative1960

hard-edge1961

1959 J. Langsner in Four Abstr. Classicists (Los Angeles County Mus.) 10/2 Classicist painting is hard-edged painting. Forms are finite, flat, rimmed by a hard clean edge.]

1961 J. Canaday in N.Y. Times 26 Jan. l. 59/2 Our precise technicians of ‘hard edge abstraction’ stem more directly from their European ancestors than from these American trail blazers.

1962 Guardian 12 July 6/4 Hard-edge is socially useful..but it is neither art nor painting.

1998 Independent on Sunday 16 Aug. (Culture section) 7/2 Even when Tucker was a hard-edge abstractionist in the 1960s, we suspected that his true master was Rodin.

2013 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 19 Aug. l. 5 Included in the show was a suite of black-and-white paintings: crisply rendered blocks (‘hard-edge’, in abstract-painting terms).

hard-edged adj. [compare Old English heardecg hard or sharp of edge] having rigid or sharply defined edges; (also figurative) tough, uncompromising; stark, harsh.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > inflexible

ironOE

stour1303

strange1338

unmovablea1382

inflexible1398

stoutc1410

unpliablea1425

intreatable1509

stiff1526

stiff-necked1526

unpliant1547

stout-hearted1552

inexorable1553

obstinate1559

strait-laced1560

impersuasible1576

unflexiblea1586

hard-edged1589

adamantive1594

unyielding1594

adder-deaf1597

steeled1600

irrefragable1601

rigid1606

unpersuadable1607

imployable1613

unswayablea1616

uncompellable1623

inflexive?1624

over-rigid1632

unlimbera1639

seta1640

incomplying1640

uncomplying1643

stiff-girt1659

impersuadable1680

unbendinga1688

impracticable1713

unblendable1716

stiff-rumped1728

unconvinciblea1747

uncompounding1782

unplastic1787

unbending1796

adamant1816

uneasy1819

uncompromising1828

cast iron1829

hard-hitting1831

rigoristic1844

ramrod1850

pincé1858

anchylosed1860

unbendable1884

tape-bound1900

tape-tied1900

hard line1903

tough1905

absolutist1907

hard-arsed1942

go-for-broke1946

hardcore1951

hard-arse1966

hard-ass1967

hardball1974

the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [adjective] > having an edge or border > of specific kind > specific

fringed1495

hard-edged1589

feathery1792

brown-edged1830

fringy1831

vallate1878

thick-rimmed1976

1589 J. Banister Antidotarie Chyrurg. Table sig. Bb3^v/2 Hard edged vlcers.

1640 T. Carew Poems 102 The hard edg'd Iron did turne Soft as a bed of Roses blowne.

1860 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 1 Feb. 30/2 The spandril, richly coloured in flat, hard-edged shading tints.

1904 Weekly Irish Times 24 Dec. 10/2 Oh, faith, if you look under the surface, you'll discover hard-edged poverty here and there.

1954 J. R. R. Tolkien Two Towers iii. i. 22 Long slopes they climbed, dark, hard-edged against the sky.

1993 N.Y. Times 23 Mar. c18/6 A suburban audience that has been alienated by the hard-edged sound of hip-hop.

2006 Sydney Morning Herald 3 Apr. (Guide section) 22/1 It's pretty hard-edged with plenty to say about street kids and exploitation of juveniles.

hard error n. Computing an error from which a system is unable to recover, typically resulting from a hardware fault; a hardware fault causing such an error.

ΚΠ

1969 IBM Jrnl. Res. & Devel. 13 460/1 A count of six is taken to mean that the scanning spot is looping, i.e., the failure is deemed by the program to be a ‘hard’ error.

1992 CU Amiga May 187/3 You can never really trust a once-knackered disk again. If you have a hard error (physical damage) the best thing to do is chuck it immediately.

2009 Australian (Nexis) 19 Nov. 3 A non-destructive ‘soft’ error which changes the code in a digital component from, say, a 1 to a 0, or a ‘hard’ error that results in permanent damage.

hard facing n. a hard outer or surface layer; (Metallurgy) a coating of a metal resistant to abrasion applied to another, less resistant, metal; the application of such coatings.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > industry > working with specific materials > working with metal > [noun] > protecting metal with coating

hard facing1833

1833 Descr. Catal. Animals Zool. Soc. Dublin 68 Whilst the body of the tooth is of a softer substance, nature has provided it with a peculiarly hard facing of enamel.

1840 Jrnl. Amer. Inst. 4 302 This hard facing should be commenced upon the parts of the road most travelled.

1883 U.S. Patent 278,784 1/2 Silver or other white metal..was applied to the inferior metal and highly burnished before applying thereto the hard facing of nickel.

1930 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 122 542 Welded-on overlays or ‘hard facings’ have been applied to drill bits.

2003 Power Mar. 80 (advt.) Trim for the Power Industry: Control valve replacement parts, softgoods,..reverse engineering, specialty welding, hardfacing, precision machining.

hard feeling n. (in singular and esp. in plural) resentment or animosity; frequently in no hard feelings, expressing reassurance that no resentment exists towards another; also used as a question to seek such reassurance.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > hatred > [noun]

heteeOE

nitheeOE

fiendshipc900

hatingOE

hatec1175

loathnessc1175

foeshipa1200

hatreda1225

foredenc1275

bitterhead1340

enmityc1380

bitternessa1382

haynec1386

enemy1398

heart-burningc1425

affection1485

dislovea1533

pique1532

haturea1563

animosity1568

foehood?1578

animoseness1730

hard feeling1803

dispeace1825

needle1874

bad mind1939

the mind > emotion > anger > indignation or resentment > [noun]

wrathc900

disdain1297

indignationc1384

heavinessc1386

gall1390

offencea1393

mislikinga1400

despitec1400

rankling?a1425

jealousyc1475

grudge1477

engaigne1489

grutch1541

outrage1572

dudgeon1573

indignance1590

indignity1596

spleen1596

resentiment1606

dolour1609

resentment1613

endugine1638

stomachosity1656

ressentiment1658

resent1680

umbrage1724

resentfulness1735

niff1777

indignancy1790

saeva indignatio1796

hard feeling1803

grudgement1845

to have a chip on one's shoulder1856

affrontedness1878

spike1890

1803 Connecticut Evangelical Mag. June 456/1 I find an heart to contend with my maker. Yet my conscience testifies, that these hard feelings are wholly wrong.

1845 S. Carolina Temperance Advocate 26 June 204/3 The goods will be freely shown, and no hard feelings, if they do not induce a purchase.

1856 E. G. P. Wilkins Young N.Y. ii. i. 22 Good bye, governor—no hard feelings, I hope.

1899 Minnesota Mag. Sept. 36 There was a good deal of hard feeling toward her among the boys for disappointing them.

1913 Sat. Evening Post 6 Dec. 66/2 ‘That makes us even. No hard feelings? Shake!’ ‘No hard feelings.’

1965 Times 27 July 10/7 Hard feeling about Sir Alec's resignation is fading as a prejudicial factor.

2005 E. Barr Plan B (2006) xxxii. 345 Andy handed me a cup of tea. ‘Anyways, no hard feelings. She should never have dragged you into it.’

hard finish n. Plastering now chiefly historical the third and final coat of plaster applied to a surface, consisting of a fine, white, lime-based mixture, laid on to a depth of about one-eighth of an inch (approx. 0.3 cm).

ΚΠ

1828 Amer. Jrnl. Improvem. 1 150 In the material for the hard finish, which is composed of white sand, lime and plaster, I mix the color suited to the ground of the marble I wish to imitate.

1857 Harper's Mag. Dec. 28/1 The building is a very elegant one, the chunam (hard finish) almost rivaling the marble of the monuments that line the walls.

1915 Pop. Mech. Aug. 291/2 ‘Hard-finish’ plaster generally means a composition of lime putty and plaster of paris, and sometimes marble dust.

1994 Harrowsmith Aug. 12/3 True plastering, in the original sense, is almost a lost art, requiring a scratch coat..of gypsum plaster over metal or wooden lath, a second coat over that and a lime-based hard finish coat.

hard finishing n. Plastering now chiefly historical = hard finish n.; (also) the action or process of applying a hard finish.

ΚΠ

1730 W. Warren in R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr. (1886) I. 231 The side-walls..of y^e Chapel done with Hard finishing (as 'tis call'd) and Stucco-work.

1853 Latter-Day Saints Millennial Star 27 Aug. 568/1 The plastering and hard-finishing on the outside of the Lord's House was commenced on the 2nd November, 1835.

1902 Bull. Dept. Labor (U.S.) 7 710 Plastering over lath is not practiced in Cuba, and there is little or no hard finishing.

1998 Constr. Hist. 14 11 An elaborate agreement..stipulated the number of coats required in different types of rooms..scratch coating, browning and hard finishing.

hardfish n. esp. Scottish dried or salted fish; formerly also †as a count noun (obsolete). [After Anglo-Norman dur pessun (14th cent. or earlier) and (in later Scots use) its apparent early Scandinavian model (compare Old Icelandic harðfiskr (Icelandic harðfiskur)); compare also post-classical Latin piscis durus (from 13th cent. in British sources). In some later instances directly after Icelandic.]

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > seafood > [noun] > fish > cured fish

hardfisha1325

cure1883

a1325 Statutes of Realm (2011) xxx. 89 þe hundred of mulewelles ant of hard fisses, contenez of eȝtte score mulewelles.

c1436 Domesday Ipswich (BL Add. 25011) in T. Twiss Black Bk. Admiralty (1873) II. 193 Of eche hundred of all maner of hard fyssh [Fr. dur peyscun].

1512 Househ. Bk. James IV f. 4, in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Hard Coft xl hard fisch pryce x d.

1695 Acomp Expenc Ordination at Newmilles 18 Sept. in Scots Mag. (1890) July 384 For a hard fish..14 [shillings].

1721 R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scotl. I. 441 Nothing but Snow-water..to drink, and a little hard Fish to eat.

1864 Trans. National Assoc. Promotion Social Sci. 1863 611 Facility of intercourse must gradually work great changes in the Highlands... Every barrel of herrings and ton of hardfish..are now within reach of an easy market.

1955 Mearns Leader 23 Sept. in Sc. National Dict. (1960) at Hard Gowden Win'ers tae ging wi skirlie, or hard fish, or saut herrin', or haggis.

1990 W. D. Valgardson in L. Hutcheon & M. Richmond Other Solitudes 132 Stealing hardfish before it was ready, my cousin stealing butter from his mother's kitchen.

2002 Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 3 Mar. a4 ‘The more hardfish and liver sausage the better,’ said Sigrun Thora McInnes.

hard fist n. (a) an unwillingness to part with money (cf. hard-fisted adj.); (b) a willingness and ability to fight; a tough, ruthless approach (cf. iron fist n.).

ΚΠ

1840 T. Macqueen Moorland Minstrel 129 Forbidding churl,..whose hard fist ne'er parted with an alms, Unless he hop'd for usury in heaven!]

1844 Punch 7 162/1 Michael Gibbs Mayor! He of the hard fist the Lord of City hospitality!

1863 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 17 Oct. 421/2 The students..must bring not the delicately gloved hand, but the hard fist of determination and perseverance.

1889 Universal Rev. 3 190 Ned's mother was known..for a tight hand and a hard fist if ever there was one; and she'd be bound not to be best pleased to have a penniless lass like Elsie on her hands.

1916 Papers & Proc. Amer. Sociol. Soc. 10 31 The corresponding political achievement may well require the hard fist as well as the brave and generous heart of a Tom Brown among the nations.

1962 Life 7 Sept. 70 a/3 He led his own organization with a hard fist and was not above using Soviet tactics.

2010 Sun (Nexis) 18 Dec. 4 Sir Alex has had to live with this pressure day in, day out for over 24 years and still come out the other side successful. He has done it with equal quantities of a hard fist and a velvet glove.

hard-fortuned adj. chiefly poetic (now rare) suffering or characterized by bad luck or difficult circumstances.

ΚΠ

1599 R. Linche Fountaine Anc. Fiction sig. Oij The most afflicted and hard-fortuned companions of Vlisses [It. i compagni di Vlisse].

1607 W. Alexander Trag. Croesus v. ii. sig. L4, in Monarchicke Trag. Whilst this famous Citie was distressed, What could become of the hard-fortun'd King?

1773 G. Howard Siege of Tamor v. 69 I have unduteous long indulg'd a passion, Yet chaste as snow, for an hard-fortun'd youth.

1878 Appleton's Jrnl. 5 395/2 Hard-fortuned Hamish, half blown of his breath with the height of the hill, Was white in the face.

1907 K. L. Bates Amer. Lit. iv. 164 The figures of his melodious tales are old-time Quakers persecuted for their witness,..hard-fortuned maidens like the witch's daughter and the Papist drudge, [etc.].

1997 B. MacSweeney Bk. Demons 58 I feel the gutter twisting, hard-fortuned carrier of water and nitrates to the unholy earth.

hard goer n. (a) a horse or rider possessing considerable stamina, or capable of traversing rough terrain (cf. goer n. 1c) (now chiefly Australian); (b) colloquial a hard-living person; a person whose lifestyle is characterized by overindulgence or vigorous pleasure-seeking (now rare; chiefly Irish English in later use).

ΚΠ

1778 Morning Chron. 8 July [She] was a few days ago at the manage, mounted on a very hard goer.

1804 R. Cumberland Sailor's Daughter i. 14 Your master has been a hard goer, and is now pulling up at the end of his journey.

1818 ‘T. Brown’ Brighton II. i. 40 At Oxford, he was a hard goer, and shewed early that he was a fellow of spirit and resource.

1860 Bell's Life in London 29 Jan. 5/5 After a run all go home jolly well pleased, whether he be the hard goer or road rider.

1903 H. S. Krans Irish Life in Irish Fiction iv. 240 A group of rustic hard-goers sleeping off the effects of over-stimulation in a corner.

1943 Irish Times 11 Jan. 3/7 I don't mean the four bottles of stout and a half one for the road people. I mean the hard goers. The ones who would drink whiskey out of a horse-trough.

2004 Advertiser (Brisbane) (Nexis) 20 May 49 She [sc. a filly] is a hard goer, hasn't relaxed over these shorter distances and is likely to appreciate the longer Oaks journey.

hard-grained adj. having a hard grain (in various senses); (figurative) tough, gritty; unemotional.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > callous or hard-hearted

hard hearteOE

steelena1000

hardOE

hard-heartedc1225

stony?c1230

yhert1340

dure1412

hardedc1425

induratec1425

stonishc1450

hardenedc1480

steely1508

flinty1536

endured1540

stiff-stomached1540

heartless1556

indured1558

flint-hearted1560

iron1561

marble1565

stone-hearted?1569

stony-hearted1569

iron-hearted1570

steel-hearted1571

rocky?1578

brawned1582

flinted1582

padded1583

obdure?1590

brawny1596

flintful1596

flint-heart1596

steeled1600

cauterized1603

indurated1604

flinty-hearted1629

ahenean1630

dedolent1633

brawny-hearteda1639

hard-grained1643

callous1647

upsitten1682

seared1684

petrified1720

calloused1746

coreless1813

pebble-hearted1816

hard-shelled1848

hard-plucked1857

steel trap1921

1643 J. Caryl Expos. 3 First Chaps. Iob ii. 309 Some Trees keepe their greenesse and their leaves, winter and summer..: Some spirits are like those hard-grain'd trees.

1746 T. Lowndes Seasonable Hint for Pilchard & Coast Fishery 9 Bruising large, hard-grained Salt is attended with a good deal of expensive labour.

1853 C. Dickens Bleak House xxii. 215 A hard-grained man, close, dry, and silent.

1908 Rep. Special Exam. Office President of Bronx 111 In place of hard grained limestone or trap rock, the contractor was using native stone.

1965 L. E. Sweet Peoples & Cultures Middle East (1970) 31 On well-watered slopes grow hard-grained annual grasses like wild emmer wheat.

2006 Guardian (Nexis) 11 Sept. 35 The decathlon,..usually the province of experienced and hard-grained campaigners.

hard hand n. now rare a worker in hard silk (see sense A. 1h).

ΚΠ

1915 Census Eng. & Wales 1911 X. App. 161 in Parl. Papers 1914–16 (Cd. 7660) LXXXI. 1 Hard Hand.

1921 Dict. Occup. Terms (1927) §399 Hard hand (silk), general term for any worker engaged in treating silk while still hard, i.e., before it is degummed.

hard labour n. heavy manual work imposed as a punishment, esp. during a prison sentence.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > [noun] > with hard labour > hard labour

hard labour1651

servitude1659

hard1887

1651 All Proc. Sessions of Peace Westm. 20 Iune 9 The Keeper of the sayd house of Correction is heereby strictly required to set the sayd Thomas Kearby to hard labour, and to give him corporall punishment as occasion requireth.

1735 Lives Most Remarkable Criminals III. 158 They carried them before a neighbouring Justice of Peace who presently committed them to Bridewell to hard Labour.

1865 Act 28 & 29 Vict. c. 126 §19 Hard Labour for the Purposes of this Act shall be of Two Classes, consisting, 1st, of Work at the Tread Wheel, Shot Drill, Crank, Capstan, Stone-breaking, or..other like Description of hard bodily labour.

1926 Daily Chron. 13 May 2/6 Three men were each sentenced to three months hard labour for inciting a crowd of people to set fire to a railway motor lorry in the city.

2006 Frankston (Austral.) Standard (Nexis) 6 Mar. 8 He was given hard labour in a road party for using bad language.

hard lander n. Astronautics a lander (lander n. 1b) of a type for which a hard landing is usual or expected.

ΚΠ

1960 Electr. Engin. Space Technol. (Amer. Inst. Electr. Engineers) 5/2 A lunar hard-lander and a lunar soft-lander may use the same launch vehicle and parts of the same structural frame, even the same mid-course guidance, but there the similarity ends.

2011 S. Hubbard Exploring Mars viii. 105 We pointed out concepts for hard landers, semihard landers, and soft landers, such as those in the Viking style with retro rockets.

hard landing n. (a) a landing made with excessive force; (Astronautics) an uncontrolled landing in which a spacecraft is destroyed; (b) Economics an undesirably rapid reduction in economic growth.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > air or space travel > action of flying (in) aircraft > specific flying operations or procedures > [noun] > landing > crash landing

hard landing1840

crash landing1928

prang1942

1840 Hampshire Advertiser 22 Aug. As he passed ‘No. 5,’ he thus addressed him—‘I'm thinking, Colin, tha'ill be unco hard landing, when I've com to th' bottom.’

1930 Pop. Mech. Nov. 727/1 Information concerning the strength of tires under heavy loads, hard landings and irregular runways.

1958 Times 28 Mar. 10/3 The first [lunar landing] would be a simple shot, ending either in a ‘hard’ (uncontrolled) landing or a circling of the moon.

1991 Longevity May 94/3 A baby riding in your lap can fly out of your arms and suffer injuries in a hard landing or turbulence.

2000 Wall St. Jrnl. 16 May c16/4 More threatening would be a series of [interest] rate increases leading to a hard landing for the U.S. economy.

2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 6 Apr. (Front section) 27/2 The plane did a hard landing in Pittsburgh, almost tore the wing off.

hard lead n. [originally after German †hart Bley (1574 (in the passage translated in quot. 1683) or earlier; now Hartblei)] a lead alloy containing a small amount of antimony (which makes it harder than pure lead).

ΚΠ

1683 J. Pettus tr. L. Ercker iii. xvii. 259 (heading) in Fleta Minor i. Six additional Instructions about proving of fresh Oar, called Hard Lead [Ger. hart Bley].

1881 Trans. Amer. Inst. Mining Engineers 1880–1 9 144 Hard lead, lead containing certain impurities, principally antimony.

2006 A. F. Castle tr. M. Bauser et al. Extrusion (ed. 2) v. 198/1 Lead antimony alloys are referred to as hard lead because the antimony significantly hardens the soft lead.

hard liar n. [punningly after hard lyers n.] Nautical humorous rare a sailor receiving hard line money (see hard line n. and adj. Compounds).

ΚΠ

1927 Daily Express 10 Oct. 3 Sometimes, in recompense for discomforts endured, the crews of drifters draw what is termed ‘hard-lying money’ (those who receive this are naturally known as ‘hard liars’).

hard lyers n. Nautical (now historical) = hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds. [Apparently a folk-etymological alteration (after hard adj. and the plural of lier n.) of hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds.]

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > [noun] > sailor's pay > additional payments

primage1476

prime gilt1576

pinch-gut money1660

hat money1676

conduct-money1702

hard line money1886

hard-lying money1890

hard lyers1916

1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin iv. 56 ‘They ain't so bad,’ he murmured. ‘You gits a tanner a day, 'ard lyers in 'em.’

2003 Daily Tel. 27 May 23/2 He always said that his decision to join the submariners was partly financial because they would get six shillings a day ‘specialist’ money—four shillings a day danger money while at sea and two shillings a day hard lyers.

hard-lying money n. Nautical (now historical) = hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds. [Apparently a folk-etymological alteration (after hard adj. and lying n.¹) of hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds.]

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > [noun] > sailor's pay > additional payments

primage1476

prime gilt1576

pinch-gut money1660

hat money1676

conduct-money1702

hard line money1886

hard-lying money1890

hard lyers1916

1890 Hampshire Tel. & Sussex Chron. 13 Sept. 8/1 For some years an allowance called ‘hard-lying money’ has been paid to officers and men employed in torpedo-boats as some little recognition of the discomfort and danger..of service life.

1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin iv. 56 Men serving in destroyers receive sixpence a day extra pay. It is known as ‘hard-lying money’.

2008 Mariner's Mirror 94 80 A rating could increase his income by service in a submarine, as aircrew or in a ship where hard-lying money was paid.

hard man n. colloquial (chiefly British) a man who is (regarded as) particularly tough, aggressive, and self-assured, esp. (a) (Fox-hunting) a hard-riding huntsman, dismissive of physical danger; (b) a man prone to violence, a thug.In some earlier uses difficult to distinguish from more general use (cf. senses A. 2, A. 16a).

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > hunting > hunter > hunter of specific animal > [noun] > of fox

fox-hunter1692

fox-huntsman1827

pink1828

fox-huntress1829

hard man1835

1835 G. P. R. James Gipsy III. viii. 278 ‘Twenty years cannot change [the truth] as they have done you and me, hard man!’.. ‘Thank God, I can ride as fresh as any man after the hounds, and shirk neither fence nor gate.’

1892 E. P. Elmhirst Fox-hound, Forest & Prairie 323 If any of the hard men of the Pytchley were there to see the open ditches and five-foot fences of Aintree..they will scorn more than ever our pigmy obstacles.

1949 Cue 23 July 20/3 Howard Duff as Six-Gun Sam is a real hard man in saloon, saddle or stagecoach hold-up.

1964 R. D. Abrahams Deep down in Jungle i. iii. 70 His expression of his ego is in his physical prowess. He is the ‘hard man’, who, because of his strength, accepts the challenges of the world.

1975 Guardian 10 May 10/2 What did have me terrified were the wee Glasgow hard men flashing knives.

1991 Sun 13 June 2/2 Tory hard-man Norman Tebbit warned the Chancellor not to surrender to Brussels.

2006 T. Anderson Riding Magic Carpet (2008) iii. 88 I shit myself straight away, any attempts to play the hard man vanishing instantly.

hard mixture n. Brewing (now historical) = multum n.

ΚΠ

1856 Pharm. Jrnl. & Trans. 15 525 Cocculus indicus..is used for no other purpose than adulterating beer, and is sold openly to brewers, druggists, and others, sometimes under the name of ‘multum’. Another name occasionally used is ‘hard mixture’.

1909 Practitioner Feb. 266 The mixture of the cocculus with beer..was kept by brewers' druggists, and sold to brewers under the name of ‘multum’ or ‘hard mixture’.

hard-nailed adj. having hard nails; (figurative) tough, cynical (cf. hard as nails at nail n. Phrases 5).

ΚΠ

a1864 J. Clare Poems of Middle Period (2003) V. 352 The boys lye tending horses every where In hard nailed hilos [= high-low boots] open at the toes.

1910 W. de la Mare Three Mulla-mulgars xvii. 232 Long, hairy, hard-nailed toes.

1993 T. Gitlin Sixties (rev. ed.) vii. 173 What I remember most vividly is Howe, the hard-nailed disbeliever, sneering: ‘Could you love a fascist, Tom?’

2007 E. Baysinger Nine Attempts vi. 94 His legs had been made strong by skateboarding; the left one jerked free of the man's grip while the right one brought a hard-nailed shoe down onto his thumb.

hard-necked adj. (and n.) obstinate, inflexible (cf. stiff-necked adj., hard-headed adj.); also (and in earliest use) as n. (with the and plural agreement) obstinate people as a class.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective]

starkOE

moodyOE

stithc1000

stidyc1175

stallc1275

harda1382

stubbornc1386

obstinate?1387

throa1400

hard nolleda1425

obstinant?a1425

pertinacec1425

stablec1440

dour1488

unresigned1497

difficultc1503

hard-necked1530

pertinatec1534

obstacle1535

stout-stomached1549

hard-faced1567

stunt1581

hard-headed1583

pertinacious1583

stuntly1583

peremptory1589

stomachous1590

mulish1600

stomachful1600

obstined1606

restive1633

obstinacious1649

opinionated1649

tenacious1656

iron-sided1659

sturdy1664

cat-witted1672

obstinated1672

unyielding1677

ruggish1688

bullet-headed1699

tough1780

pelsy1785

stupid1788

hard-set1818

thick and thin1822

stuntya1825

rigwiddie1826

indomitable1830

recalcitrant1830

set1848

mule-headed1870

muley1871

capitose1881

hard-nosed1917

tight1928

1530 G. Joye tr. M. Bucer Psalter of Dauid f. 200^v The frantike hardnecked do I hate: and thy lawe have I loved.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Baruch ii. F It is an hardnecked people.

1615 H. S. Diuine Dict. 94 Steuen..rebuketh the hard necked Iewes, and is stoned to death.

1797 G. Benjoin Integrity & Excellence of Script. 66 The conduct of a people hard-necked, perverse, passionate, impatient, addicted to idolatry.

1895 C. P. Krauth tr. T. Christlieb in Compl. Preacher I. 21 He shows the same hard-necked defiance and spirit of contradiction.

a1945 E. R. Eddison Mezentian Gate (1958) i. 5 He was..hard-necked and unswayable in policy.

1967 Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press 6 May 34/7 The hard-necked and the hard-hearted found the invitation as unpalatable then as they do now.

2013 S. A. Nohrstedt in R. Wodak et al. Right-wing Populism in Europe xxi. 318 The lesson seems to be even more hard-necked resistance to dialogue in any practical sense.

† hard nolled adj. Obsolete = hard-necked adj.; cf. nolled adj.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective]

starkOE

moodyOE

stithc1000

stidyc1175

stallc1275

harda1382

stubbornc1386

obstinate?1387

throa1400

hard nolleda1425

obstinant?a1425

pertinacec1425

stablec1440

dour1488

unresigned1497

difficultc1503

hard-necked1530

pertinatec1534

obstacle1535

stout-stomached1549

hard-faced1567

stunt1581

hard-headed1583

pertinacious1583

stuntly1583

peremptory1589

stomachous1590

mulish1600

stomachful1600

obstined1606

restive1633

obstinacious1649

opinionated1649

tenacious1656

iron-sided1659

sturdy1664

cat-witted1672

obstinated1672

unyielding1677

ruggish1688

bullet-headed1699

tough1780

pelsy1785

stupid1788

hard-set1818

thick and thin1822

stuntya1825

rigwiddie1826

indomitable1830

recalcitrant1830

set1848

mule-headed1870

muley1871

capitose1881

hard-nosed1917

tight1928

a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Ecclus. xvi. 11 If oon hadde be hard nollid [L. cervicatus], wondur if he hadde be giltles.

hard nut n. originally U.S. (a) a difficult question, problem, or undertaking; = a hard nut to crack at nut n.¹ 4 (now somewhat rare); (b) colloquial a person who is difficult or dangerous to deal with; an aggressive or unsentimental person, a tough nut.

ΚΠ

1819 Public Ledger & Daily Advertiser 21 Oct. 1/4 A few of the many thousand questions..which might be put to a Deist..may furnish some person with a Hard Nut or two for these sort of folk.

1848 Boston Post 12 Aug. 1/7 When Rev. Mr Burchard, the great revivalist..was a young man he was a hard nut.

1917 Charlotte (N. Carolina) Med. Jrnl. Aug. 78/2 I recruited from the slums of St. Louis: hard nuts who roughed it, day and night.

1938 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 7 July 18/5 He's a hard nut and drives a hard bargain.

1957 Billboard 13 Apr. 39/1 None of the services are known to have come up with quick answers to these hard nuts.

2006 ‘R. C. Brown’ Common as Muck! ii. 43 Once I'd gained a reputation as the third-best fighter, every other hard nut in the school wanted to have a go at me.

hardpack n. highly compacted snow, sand, etc. (frequently attributive); cf. hard-packed adj. at hard adv. Compounds 1d(b).

ΚΠ

1894 Cosmopolitan May 32/1 The steady current at its base cuts off masses of hard-pack sand that fall bodily into the water.

1895 Watchman 10 Jan. 18/2 Light snow..lay on the frozen crust... The runners cut deep in the hard pack.

1942 Boys' Life Nov. 6/2 He could listen to the whirring, spitting rush of steel-edged hickory on the hardpack which always thrilled him.

1990 S. King Stand (new ed.) i. v. 39 They went down to the beach, over the warming sand to the darker brown hardpack.

2006 Snowboard Jrnl. No. 10. 116/1 Even though I had been snowboarding for three years..and could make turns in powder, I couldn't turn on hardpack snow.

hard-pad n. a condition affecting mainly dogs, characterized by thickening and hardening of the skin of the pads (and often of the nose), resulting from infection with the virus causing canine distemper; the disease distemper itself; frequently attributive, esp. in hard-pad disease.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of dogs > [noun]

formicac1400

running woodnessa1425

founder1547

distemper1746

blotch1824

kennel lameness1841

foul1854

dog ill1874

salmon disease1880

piblokto1894

strongyloidiasis1907

strongyloidosis1907

salmon poisoning1925

hard-pad1948

Rubarth's disease1951

canine parvovirus1972

parvovirus1979

1948 A. B. MacIntyre et al. in Vet. Rec. 28 Feb. 103/1 We now recognise a condition which we have tentatively called ‘hard pad disease’.

1958 New Yorker 22 Feb. 31/3 Even the fact that foxes are now carrying a disease called hardpad is insufficient reason for shooting a fox.

2007 D. M. Eldredge et al. Dog Owner's Home Vet. Handbk. (ed. 4) 73 Hard-pad is much less common than it was in the past, due to better vaccines and increased use of vaccines.

hard palate n. [after scientific Latin palatum durum (1765 in the source translated in quot. 1779, or earlier)] the anterior part of the palate, consisting of a bony plate covered on its lower surface by the mucous membrane of the mouth and on its upper surface by the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity; = bony palate n. at bony adj. Compounds.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > mouth > [noun] > palate > hard palate

bony palate1748

hard palate1779

1779 tr. A. von Haller First Lines Physiol. xi. 141 By the mouth, we mean that large and irregularly shaped cavity between the soft and hard palate [L. inter palatum molle & durum].

1890 H. Sweet Primer of Phonetics 8 The roof of the mouth consists of two parts, the ‘soft’ and the ‘hard’ palate.

2006 F. Baker & J. Tamplin Music Therapy Methods v. 140 Linguapalatals—when the part of the tongue just back from its tip is pressed against the hard palate.

hard paste n. the material from which hard porcelain is made (see sense A. 1j); frequently attributive.

ΚΠ

1848 H. R. Forster Stowe Catal. 6 The celebrated Porcelain of Dresden, or more properly, Meissen,..is the most choice..of German fabrication. The material is termed ‘hard paste’.

1869 C. Schreiber Jrnl. (1911) I. 44 A bird on a raised sort of foot, possibly hard paste English.

1879 J. J. Young Ceramic Art 55 There is..very little difference in hardness between the hard-paste and the soft-paste.

1968 Canad. Antiques Collector Aug. 27/1 Hard-Paste porcelain is unaffected by the file where it is ‘free from the glaze’.

2003 Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) (Nexis) 6 Feb. 7 White pate dure (hard paste) porcelain figures by E. M. Falconet are also on display.

hard pewter n. a lead-free pewter, typically containing tin, antimony, and copper.

ΚΠ

1734 S.-Carolina Gaz. 7 Dec. 2/2 Imported from London... Several sorts of hard pewter, Cherry Brandy, Damsen brandy, & several pieces of houshold furnitures.

1834 Trans. Soc. Arts 50 146 Let a back..be prepared of hard pewter, two-thirds the diameter of the speculum.

2009 G. Rapp Archaeomineralogy (ed. 2) vii. 177 If small amounts of copper are added, a hard pewter is formed, while small amounts of antimony lead to a silvery luster.

hard point n. a strengthened region on an aircraft where an external load, such as attached weapons or fuel tanks, is to be allowed for.

ΚΠ

1959 Aviation Week 7 Dec. 10 (advt.) Sikorsky S-64—new 8-ton payload turbine-powered flying crane... Where landings are possible, cargo can be attached by cable to four hard points on the fuselage.

1991 Sky Warriors 1 ii. 47/1 2.5-inch rockets can be carried on six under-wing hard points.

2012 P. G. Fahlstrom & T. J. Gleason Introd. UAV Syst. (ed. 4) xi. 162 The mass supported by the hard points includes both the weapons and their launchers or racks.

hard power n. power (of a nation state, alliance, etc.) characterized by a coercive approach to international relations, often involving military action; cf. soft power at soft adj. Compounds 2a.

ΚΠ

1990 J. S. Nye Bound to Lead i. 33 If it can help support institutions that encourage other states to channel or limit their activities in ways the dominant state prefers, it may not need as many costly exercises of coercive or hard power in bargaining situations.

2007 Independent 8 Feb. 33/5 Instead of displaying America's mailed fist in all its might to crush terrorists and reshape the Middle East, Washington has actually shown the limitations of US hard power and the penalties of acting on its own.

hard R adj. (and n.) originally U.S. designating a film with adult content at the upper end of the R (= restricted) rating (see R n. 16r, and the next level NC-17 n. at N n. Initialisms 1); also (and in earliest use) as n.: a film of this kind.Also in extended use designating a television show with similar content.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > film show > [adjective] > classification for viewing

U1922

G1966

X-rated1970

hard R1974

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [noun] > pornographic film

stag movie1960

pornie1965

skin-flick1965

stag film1968

porno1971

hard R1974

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [adjective] > other types

costumed1851

foreign language1904

first run1910

Keystone1912

photodramatic1914

serial1915

coming of age1919

edge-of-your-seat1922

psychodramatic1927

omnibus1928

straight1936

low-budget1937

no-budget1937

screwball1937

Ealing1939

blockbusting1943

private eye1946

film noir1952

white telephone1952

portmanteau1953

uncut1953

anthology1955

three-D1955

Hammer1958

noir1958

co-production1959

kitchen sink1959

kidult1960

docudrama1961

cinéma vérité1963

maudit1963

filmi1965

indie1968

triple-X1969

XXX1969

drama-documentary1970

cheapie1973

gross-out1973

high concept1973

chopsocky1974

hard R1974

buddy movie1975

sci-fi1977

mondo1979

hack-and-slash1981

microbudget1981

hack-and-slay1982

slice-and-dice1982

fly on the wall1983

psychotronic1983

noirish1985

Mad Max1986

stoner1987

bonkbusting1993

straight to DVD1997

1974 Washington Post 3 Mar. e9/5 Meyer is shooting ‘Vixens’ as a ‘hard R’ (which does not mean it contains hard-core footage) and the other an X.

1981 N.Y. Times 8 Nov. (New Jersey Weekly section) 36/2 Concerned about the spread of ‘adult’ entertainment on cable television, the state is considering regulating programming of the so-called ‘hard R’ shows.

2011 Guardian (Nexis) 20 Aug. (Final ed.) (Guide Suppl.) 19 Here is a hard-R horror franchise fanatically sculpted and souped up to appeal to the volatile, impatient demographic once called the teen drive-in crowd.

hard rubber n. rubber that has been hardened by vulcanizing; cf. vulcanite n.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > rubber materials > [noun] > vulcanized rubber

hard rubber1855

vulcanite1856

ebonite1861

vulcanizate1916

1855 U.S. Patent 12,301 2/2 The material I use in constructing the tubes, screws, cap, and spring of my improved fountain-pen is Goodyear's patented hard rubber.

1974 Rules of Game vi. 111 The pelota has a hard rubber core, covered with a layer of linen thread and two layers of goatskin.

2005 Blink Feb. 56/2 Earphones are crafted from anodised aluminium and hard rubber giving them both flexibility and robust durability.

hard sauce n. originally and chiefly U.S. a sauce made by creaming butter and sugar together, usually having a stiff consistency and often containing brandy, rum, etc.; cf. brandy-butter n. at brandy n. Compounds 2, rum butter n. at rum n.² Compounds 3. [So called because the sauce hardens when chilled, but perhaps also popularly associated with the alcohol it often contains (compare sense A. 23a).]

ΚΠ

1846 C. E. Beecher Domestic Receipt Bk. xiii. 129 Hard Sauce. Two tablespoons of butter. Ten tablespoons of sugar. Work this till white, then add wine and spice to your taste.

1939 A. L. Simon Conc. Encycl. Gastron. I. 29/2 In U.S.A., a Hard Sauce is made with one measure of fresh butter to two of castor sugar... A squeeze of lemon is then added... It is usual, in some States,..to add some Brandy or Rum.

1980 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 13 Dec. Mince pies with brandy hard sauce for dessert.

2011 B. Edwards & M. Olivella From Tree to Table ix. 147 The hard sauce should start to melt a little as you serve the warm pudding.

hard-selling n. aggressive advertising, salesmanship, or promotion; cf. hard sell n.

ΚΠ

1929 K. M. Goode How to Turn People into Gold x. 134 Any man content to sell an article they really want only to people who really want it should always enjoy a profit—if he doesn't spend too much finding his prospects. Hard selling doesn't pay.

1960 Economist 8 Oct. 158/2 The current slump in sales has also prompted many firms to return to the ‘hard-selling’ practices of earlier recessions.

1998 Independent 5 Aug. i. 5/3 Its investigations into second-hand goods being sold as if new, and hard-selling of extended warranties.

hardshot n. New Zealand colloquial = hard case n. 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > unconformity > abnormality > [noun] > oddness > odd person

singularist1593

singularitan1615

queer fellow1712

oddity1731

unaccountable1748

character1773

rum1788

eccentric1832

card1835

card1853

hard case1892

queer shot1900

rummy1909

hard thing1918

hardshot1924

quaint1939

odd bod1942

oddball1943

joker in the pack1963

quirky1975

1924 Auckland Star 15 Nov. 19/4 He was quite angry when someone referred to him as ‘a hard shot’.

1959 G. Slatter Gun in my Hand 91 He's a hard shot. Yeah, he's a woopkacker all right.

2010 Press (Christchurch, N.Z.) (Nexis) 27 Nov. (Features section) 2 No doubt the 29 had their share of hardshots and teak-tough blokes but their ordinariness is more the distinguishing feature.

hard shoulder n. British a hardened strip running along the nearside lane of a motorway, on which the driver of a vehicle may stop in an emergency.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > means of travel > route or way > way, path, or track > road > parts of road > [noun] > shoulder

soft shoulder1917

shoulder1933

hard shoulder1952

1952 Hansard Commons 4 July 888 This road will be built with dual carriage ways, each containing three 12-ft. traffic lanes with what is technically called a hard shoulder on each side and a central reservation.

1973 Scotsman 12 Jan. 11/4 Twenty-six of the accidents were on the inside lane or hard shoulder.

2006 S. Ings Weight of Numbers 41 The radio said something about a spilled load, and a couple of fire trucks..slid sedately past us on the hard shoulder.

hard-skinned adj. having a hard skin or outer coat; (also figurative) = thick-skinned adj. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > shameless or thick-skinned

shamelessc897

hard-skinnedc1450

past shame1509

unblushing1595

steel-browed1600

thick-skinned1602

dead to shame1780

case-hardened1836

unsnubbable1847

hard-shelled1848

pachydermatous1849

hard-boiled1884

armour-plated1887

tough-minded1927

chalcenterous1946

chalcenteric1964

c1450 tr. Secreta Secret. (Royal) 32 (MED) Kepe the fro fische þat is hard skynned.

1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Hard skynned, duricorius.

1629 T. Jackson Treat. Divine Essence i. 5 A company of children, driving an hungry hard-skinned Asse with bats or staves out of a corne-field.

1745 tr. L. J. M. Columella Of Husbandry xii. xliii. 546 He ordered..the thick and hard-skinned grapes to be gathered.

1839 Gardener's Mag. Oct. 577 The hard-skinned Cape bulbs and tuberous pelargonia will live in the open border.

1902 Daily Chron. 2 Sept. 3/1 I would get an agile and hard-skinned man to field the novels as they come.

2008 M. Zabludoff Beetles vi. 83 As long, skinny, hard-skinned larvae, they gnaw at the roots of many crops.

hard-sold adj. aggressively advertised or promoted; cf. hard-sell v.

ΚΠ

1960 Economist 8 Oct. 172/1 The fuel-economy services offered by the coal and oil industries to sell their products may not prove serious competition for an independent organisation like Nifes, which may end up refereeing between them for hard-sold firms.

2007 N.Y. Sun (Nexis) 3 Oct. 21 The piccolini don't fill a particular hunger.., as the restaurant's dinner portions are already grotesquely large. It just feels like a hard-sold boost to Centro's bottom line.

hard solder n. solder that melts at a relatively high temperature, typically made of copper with either zinc or silver and used for brazing.

ΚΠ

1634 J. Bate Myst. Nature & Art 162 There are two kindes of Sodder, to wit, hard Sodder, and soft Sodder. The soft Sodder runneth sooner then the hard.

1873 E. Spon Workshop Receipts 1st Ser. 364 2 parts of good silver and 1 of ordinary brass pins, well melted, is a good, useful jewellers' hard solder.

2002 R. D. Treloar Plumbing: Heating & Gas Installations (ed. 2) i. 46 There are several types of hard solder including silver, silver alloys with varying percentages of copper, and the cheaper-to-purchase copper/phosphorus alloys.

hard solderer n. a person proficient at brazing using hard solder.

ΚΠ

1861 Corporation Gen. & Trades Directory Birmingham 253/1 Parker William, hard solderer, 43, Inge st.

1909 Sioux County (Iowa) Herald 14 Apr. A union of hard solderers of New York has been organized.

1998 A. Donagi et al. in Encycl. Occup. Health & Safety (Internat. Labour Office) (ed. 4) IV. 103.31 Solderer and brazer. Synonyms: Soldering equipment operator; hard-solderer; silver-solderer;..brazier.

hard soldering n. the use of hard solder; brazing.

ΚΠ

1810 Tradesman Mar. 194 It [sc. borax] is used in hard soldering, laying hold of the surface of the metals.

1902 Young Engineer 1 104 The art of soldering may be divided into two distinct classes—soft soldering,..and hard soldering, in which the solders are composed of gold, silver, copper, zinc, or brass.

2003 D. Carlson Revise OCR GCSE Resistant Materials 50 Silver or hard soldering is used in beaten or decorative metalwork.

hard sphere n. chiefly Physics (as a concept in theoretical models) an idealized sphere that is perfectly hard, inelastic, and impenetrable.

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1806 O. G. Gregory Treat. Mech. I. i. vi. 139 We conceive of a vault or arch in equilibrio to be composed of a series of very small hard spheres, of polished surfaces, touching one another.

1847 J. Herapath Math. Physics I. i. iii. 114 Suppose a hard sphere, moving freely with a given velocity, strike directly upon a hard fixed body.

1917 Physical Rev. 10 678 The so-called hexagonal close-packing..is one of the two alternative arrangements which the atoms would assume if they were hard spheres.

2012 M. Mézard & G. Parisi in P. G. Wolynes & V. Lubchenko Struct. Glasses & Supercooled Liquids iv. 187 Packings of hard spheres have a wider interest: they are related to important problems in information theory.

hardstand n. a paved parking area, esp. one designed for the use of aircraft or other heavy vehicles; cf. hardstanding n.

ΚΠ

1944 N.Y. Times 13 Feb. (Mag.) 9/2 The men on the hardstand watch each plane with interest.

1994 Camping Mag. Jan. 47/4 (advt.) Level grass or hard stands with all services.

2001 Today's Pilot Feb. 26/1 Glatton was given the standard three runway layout of a heavy bomber airfield, along with associated taxiways and hardstands.

hardstanding n. chiefly British ground, or an area of ground, which is paved or otherwise reinforced for the parking of vehicles; spec. = hardstand n.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [noun] > a parking place > area where caravans may be parked > for lorries

hardstanding1940

lorry park1968

1940 Scotsman 29 Jan. 5/6 On no account are vehicles to be moved off a good road or hard standing.

1957 Times 1 Mar. 9/6 These are certainly the aircraft which one sees on the hardstanding.

1960 Guardian 19 May 1/6 The rural council intends to provide hard-standing for caravans.

2005 H. Mantel Beyond Black vii. 217 She skipped out of the sales caravan and across the hardstanding to where the car was parked.

hardstep n. originally British a type of electronic dance music, derived from drum and bass and influenced by soul and reggae; frequently (and in earliest use) attributive.

ΚΠ

1995 Re: Hardcore Awards in alt.rave (Usenet newsgroup) 14 Feb. Definately [sic] Grooverider (the hardstep king!) or the Fabio!

1995 Melody Maker 25 Mar. 27/1 The hyper-soul ‘hardstep’ of Hidden Agenda.

1998 Washington Post (Electronic ed.) 15 June An abbreviated set that featured hard-step beats sewn into an assortment of musics.

2013 Express & Echo (Exeter) (Nexis) 3 Oct. 12 Zinc's career as a DJ and producer stretches the steady evolution of hardcore from its house and rave roots through ragga and hip hop styled hardstep and beyond.

hard stock n. a brick which is over-burnt and consequently discoloured, but is otherwise sound; also hard stock brick.

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1759 Public Advertiser 17 May To be sold..Exceeding good hard Stock Bricks.

1879 Notes Building Constr. III. 105 Hard Stocks are overburnt bricks, sound, but considerably blemished both in form and colour.

1979 I. H. Seeley Building Quantities Explained (ed. 3) iv. 50 (in figure) 327.5 mm brick wall in 2nd. hard stocks.

2008 Brickwork: NVQ & Techn. Certificate Level 2 (ed. 2) xvii. 299 Common bricks can be used to weather the top of a wall, however it is advisable to use a hard stock brick or engineering type of brick.

hard stuff n. (chiefly with the) (a) U.S. slang hard cash, esp. coins; (b) colloquial (strong) alcoholic drink, esp. spirits.

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the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > [noun]

water of life?c1450

burning watera1475

watera1475

aqua vitae1542

spirit1559

strong water1615

hot waters1616

spirituous liquor1659

spirit1663

fire1707

tape1725

strunt1786

hard stuff1789

firewater1799

fool's water1815

fool water1837

spirituous liquor1842

timber-doodle1842

lightning1858

1789 S. Low Politician Outwitted iv. i. 46 Money trash! Ready Rhino trash! Golden..money! I'm sure he cou'dn't mean the hard stuff.

1832 Hill's Life New S. Wales (Sydney) 6 July 4 Lots of swizzle, hard stuff, two waters, heavy wet, ‘weed’, and long steamers, were the last act.

1848 Western Lit. Messenger 15 Apr. 170/1 One of the emigrant Germans who came up in the Duchess having the nice little sum of $150 in the hard stuff..rolled it up nicely in a rag.

1925 S. C. Howard They knew what they Wanted i. 28 I got nothing against beer or vino, but the hard stuff don't do nobody any good.

1950 H. E. Goldin Dict. Amer. Underworld Lingo 97/2 Hard stuff, coins; change as distinguished from bills. ‘Stick the soft (bills) in your kick (pocket) and the hard stuff in the bag.’

2003 D. Boyle Little Money Bk. 51/1 We have to be careful with e-cash. If there is less of the hard stuff in circulation, then there's less for the poorest people who rely on it most.

2011 Time Out N.Y. 21 Apr. 23/3 There's an intensely flavorful chicken-liver sandwich that stands up to a slug of the hard stuff.

hard swearing n. Law (now historical) persistent swearing (as a witness) to the truth of a particular statement, regardless of strong claims or evidence as to its falsity; (hence euphemistic) perjury; cf. false swearing at swearing n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > specific offences > [noun] > perjury

forswornnessc1000

manathOE

false swearingc1200

misswarec1225

forswearing1340

perjurea1393

perjurya1393

manswearingc1400

manswornc1400

perjurementc1450

misswearing1496

perjuration1570

pejeration1650

hard swearing1731

rapping1743

1731 ‘W. Egerton’ Faithful Mem. Mrs. Anne Oldfield 132 Though we..made our Case good by the Depositions of Persons whose Characters and Reputations are unquestionable, they have not stuck to overthrow, if hard Swearing may do it, every Point that should be essential to us.

1837 J. Mudie Felony New S. Wales xiv. 249 Where hard swearing is required, it is not difficult in such a place as New South Wales, to find men who will swear to any thing.

1895 Irish Law Times 3 Aug. 378/1 Of course there is much hard swearing which is not perjury. Memory is a treacherous faculty.

2012 M. Roberts Secret Hist. 131 The trials were thus a matter of hard swearing by both sides.

hard thing n. New Zealand colloquial = hard case n. 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > unconformity > abnormality > [noun] > oddness > odd person

singularist1593

singularitan1615

queer fellow1712

oddity1731

unaccountable1748

character1773

rum1788

eccentric1832

card1835

card1853

hard case1892

queer shot1900

rummy1909

hard thing1918

hardshot1924

quaint1939

odd bod1942

oddball1943

joker in the pack1963

quirky1975

1918 Chrons. N.Z.E.F. 7 June 204 Without a smoke he was a hard thing.

1988 D. McGill Dict. Kiwi Slang 55 Polt's been up in that old whare for years, never spoken to a soul... Hard thing, that Polt.

2012 Dominion Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Nexis) 6 Dec. (Sport section) 14 He was certainly a livewire; he was around us a lot and he was a bit of a hard thing.

hard ticket n. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.) a person who is difficult or dangerous to deal with; an unscrupulous person; cf. hard case n. 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [noun] > that which is difficult > a difficult thing or person

sluta1475

nut1540

Tartar1669

bitch1699

handful1755

tickler1825

pebble1829

hard ticket1847

tough nut1862

bear1876

Roger1885

trier1893

peb1903

heller1923

pawful1925

honey1932

sod1936

toughie1945

motherfucker1948

hard-arse1966

1847 Spirit Times 15 May 132/1 Simon B***..was a ‘hard ticket’ at a bargain, as well as a scrape or frolic.

1904 J. C. Lincoln Cap'n Eri xii. 223 ‘Old Laban Simpkins that lived 'round here one time,’ he said, ‘was a mighty hard ticket. Drank rum by the hogshead, pounded his wife till she left him, and was a tough nut gin'rally.’

1997 C. Brookmyre Country of Blind (2001) ix. 234 ‘Belter’ Burns, a weasel-eyed and nasal-toned hard-ticket from the big school, was heading his way,..smoking as demonstratively as possible.

hard time n. originally U.S. slang time spent in prison, esp. as part of a long sentence served for a serious crime (cf. time n. 8b); frequently in to do (also serve) hard time.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > [noun] > sentence or term of

time1790

lagging1819

stretch1821

model1845

birdlime1857

penal1864

prison sentence1867

rap1870

bit1871

spot1895

hard time1896

sleep1911

jolt1912

bird1924

fall1926

beef1928

trick1933

porridge1950

custodial sentence1951

1896 Burlington (Iowa) Hawk-eye 30 Dec. 4/5 Oscar Barrett produced five pantomimes this year, and any criminal doing hard time had an easier December than this man.

1929 G. L. Hostetter & T. Q. Beesley It's a Racket! 227 Hard time, a long sentence to prison.

1965 News Jrnl. (Mansfield, Ohio) 23 Oct. 5/6 O'Toole..served hard time in Oregon but after his release became a successful businessman.

1989 Paris (Texas) News 10 Mar. 9 a/1 Men and women who are doing time—some of them hard time for serious crimes.

2012 K. Bleyer Me the People 278 These inmates had been sentenced to do hard time for their crimes; they hadn't signed up to be broadcast to the world doing it.

hard tube n. Electronics a discharge tube with a hard vacuum, or evacuated sufficiently for any remaining gas not to affect its performance; cf. sense A. 25.

ΚΠ

1898 Science 22 Apr. 565/1 The same body has different transparencies with different tubes, ‘soft tubes’ being those requiring a small potential and ‘hard tubes’ those requiring a high one.

1947 J. V. Lebacqz & M. G. White in L. N. Ridenour Radar Syst. Engin. x. 373 Successful hard-tube pulsers have been made with power outputs up to 3 or 4 Mw.

2012 Appl. Surface Sci. 258 9565/2 The negative voltage with two different amplitudes of 3 kV and 10 kV was provided by a hard tube (HT) pulser and applied to the sample holder.

hard twist n. and adj. (a) n. a yarn, etc., twisted very tightly in spinning; (also) a tight twist given to a yarn in spinning; (b) adj. (of yarn) spun with a tight twist, hard-spun; (of a fabric) made from such yarn.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > thread or yarn > [noun] > spun > in specific way > twisted > in specific way

hard twist1664

weft-way1888

1664 R. Hooke Let. 15 Sept. in R. Boyle Wks. (1772) VI. 490 The line [of the pendulum] was a treble hard twist, one about the bigness of a very small goose-quill.

1819 A. Rees Cycl. XXII. at Manufacture of Cotton What is called hard twist, must be twisted two threads together, as is also stocking-yarn.

1897 Sears, Roebuck Catal. No. 104. 186/1 This suit is made from genuine Michigan hard twist cassimere.

1922 Amer. Wool & Cotton Reporter 20 Apr. 915/1 A decided shrinkage is noted for that fabric which contains hard twist.

1963 A. J. Hall Student's Handbk. Textile Sci. iii. 114 Much the same considerations apply in a multi-ply yarn if the two or more single yarns present are only slightly or highly twisted (often referred to as soft and hard twist) together.

2014 E. Cadigan Sourcing & Selecting Textiles for Fashion ii. 52 Depending on the amount of turns-per-inch (TPI), a soft twist or hard twist yarn is created... Hard twist yarns have more durability.

hard valve n. Electronics (now chiefly historical) a thermionic valve or tube with a hard vacuum, or evacuated sufficiently for any remaining gas not to affect its performance; cf. sense A. 25.

ΚΠ

1917 Wireless World 5 219/1 The ‘soft’ valve will require a lower voltage battery in the plate circuit than with a ‘hard’ valve... Some very ‘hard’ valves are at present being successfully used in which a high voltage direct current dynamo is used in the plate circuit.

1953 F. G. Spreadbury Design Electronic Measuring Instruments 16 Most instruments employ hard valves and make use of rectification.

2003 W. D. Hackmann in J. L. Heilbron Oxf. Compan. Hist. Mod. Sci. 819/2 In 1913, Harold Arnold of the American Western Electric Company made the first successful high-vacuum or ‘hard’ valve.

hard waste n. waste that is difficult to reuse for any reason; spec. waste yarn or thread that is much twisted or sized.

ΚΠ

1821 Leeds Mercury 27 Oct. (advt.) One Devil, for Hard Waste.

1870 Mechanics' Mag. 18 Feb. 143/2 Improvements in the utilisation of the dried or hard waste made in the process of wet flax spinning.

1937 E. M. Grey Weaver's Wage i. 1 The Rossendale weavers, being engaged in the hard-waste trade, for which there is a separate wages list, felt that they were not directly concerned with the inquiry.

2010 K. Ram in J. Singh & A. Ramanathan Solid Waste Managem. xxvii. 250 Heaps of hard waste of slag left after metal is separated from ore.

hardway n. a foreshore, a landing place; = sense B. 3.Now only in the names of various streets or place names adjacent to a landing or embarkation place, esp. in Hampshire.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > berthing, mooring, or anchoring > harbour or port > [noun] > landing-place

strand1205

arrivala1450

slip1467

pow1481

arrivagea1500

landing-place1512

shore1512

landing1601

scale1682

bunder1698

gat1723

hard1728

loadberry1764

hardway1785

1785 W. Tracey Candid Narr. Operations to raise Royal George 3 I brought the Diligente from her Moorings from off the Hardway to the Dock Jetties at my own Expence.

1817 W. Selwyn Abridgem. Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 938 The ship was first moored off the beach, in order to clear her bottom; she was then removed to Hardway.

1865 Cornhill Mag. Apr. 467 The owner was walking on the beach, or hardway, at the mouth of the river whither the Ellen was bound.

1922 List Lights Brit. Islands IV. 52 Brightlingsea, inner end of hardway.

2004 This is Hampshire (Nexis) 1 June Thousands of troops rolled through the town en route to Stokes Bay, Beach Street and Hardway in Gosport for embarkation.

hard-witted adj. †(a) lacking in intelligence, slow-witted (obsolete); (b) shrewd, businesslike.

ΚΠ

c1450 J. Metham Physiognomy in Wks. (1916) 140 A ryght hasty man and a hard-wyttyd.

a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) i. f. 4 When they meete with a hard witted scholer, they rather breake him, than bowe him.

1677 G. Miege New Dict. French & Eng. i. sig. *Dd4^v/2 Dur d'esprit, hard-witted,..slow of apprehension.

1741 J. Serenius Dictionarium Suethico-Anglo-Latinum 36/2 Dumb,..artless, dull, hardwitted.

1841 I. D'Israeli Amenities Lit. III. 102 His hard-witted and unpliant faculties..when thrown amid the supernatural and the ideal seemed suddenly deserted of their powers.

1852 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 3 Jan. 9/2 The papa..was a hard-witted, busy lawyer.

1911 Americana Nov. 1111 A surly, shrewd, hard-witted old booklover's devotion to his librarian's business.

2003 Weekend Austral. (Nexis) 22 Mar. b1 Merrymakers come in all shapes and sizes, most of them insecure and baffled by their choice of livelihood but all of them hard-witted kidders.

hard yards n. (a) Sport (originally American Football) progress made on the field against strong opposition; (b) figurative (originally Australian and New Zealand) great effort; difficult, arduous, or unglamorous work; frequently in to do (also make, put in) the hard yards.

ΚΠ

1955 Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News 19 Dec. 2 b/3 When the hard yards were needed Wills was the answer.

1977 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 5 Sept. (Football section) 2/1 The Bengals have a piledriving runner for the hard yards.

1989 Canberra Times 1 Sept. (League Times) 3/1 Brisbane ran sideways too much without getting the hard yards up the middle.

1991 Sun Herald (Sydney) (Nexis) 18 Aug. 15 We've done the hard yards on this issue [sc. republicanism] when it wasn't popular.

1997 E. Gruver Amer. Football League vii. 112 Garron became an inside runner who earned the hard yards.

2009 N. Marsh Billionaire's Baby iv. 72 I worked hard, got the right contacts, put in the hard yards, and it paid off.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

hardadv.

Brit.

/hɑːd/, U.S.

/hɑrd/

Forms: Old English–early Middle English hearde, early Middle English arde, early Middle English hærde, early Middle English harrde ( Ormulum), early Middle English herde, Middle English ard, Middle English hardde, Middle English–1500s harde, Middle English– hard; Scottish pre-1700 harde, pre-1700 herd, pre-1700 1700s– hard.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old Frisian herde very, extremely, Old Dutch hardo , harte fiercely, very, extremely, excessively (Middle Dutch harde , haerde , harde , hart , Dutch hard ), Old Saxon hardo fiercely, violently, extremely, harshly, severely (Middle Low German hard , harde , hart , herde ), Old High German harto fiercely, violently, extremely, excessively, harshly, pitilessly (Middle High German harte , German hart ), Old Icelandic harða (chiefly in poetry; the more usual adverb is hart harshly, fast, firmly, use as adverb of neuter of harðr hard adj.; compare Old Swedish hart (Swedish hart , †hårdt ), Danish haardt (now hårdt )) < the Germanic base of hard adj. + a suffix forming adverbs. Compare hardly adv.With the variation in stem vowel compare discussion at hard adj. and n. With compounds formed by modifying a (present) participial adjective (see Compounds 1) compare Old English heardhycgende brave, heardhȳþende ravaging, in which the first element is usually interpreted as hard adj. with adverbial function.

a. With a great deal of effort, energy, or force; strenuously, vigorously; assiduously; fiercely; (in early use occasionally) intensely, profoundly (cf. sense 1c and hard adj. IV.).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adverb]

hardlyeOE

strongeOE

hardOE

fastOE

starklyOE

stalworthlyc1175

starkc1225

mainlyc1300

fellc1330

snellc1330

stout1338

wightlya1340

sadlya1375

sharplyc1380

tough1398

stoutly1399

throa1400

wighta1400

lustilyc1400

sorec1400

vigourslyc1400

stiff1422

vigoriouslya1450

vigorouslya1450

actuallya1470

stourlyc1480

forcely?a1500

lustly1529

fricklyc1540

dingilya1555

livelily?1565

crankly1566

forcibly1578

crank1579

wightily?a1600

proudly1600

energetically1609

stiffly1623

ding-dong1628

greenly1633

hard and fast1646

slashingly1659

thwackingly1660

warmlya1684

robustly1709

sonsily1729

forcefullya1774

vim1843

zippily1924

vibrantly1926

punchily1934

zingily1951

the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adverb]

hardOE

sorea1300

mightilya1400

strenuously1602

intenselya1631

effortfully1961

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adverb] > grievously or extremely

swith971

hardOE

teenfullya1375

foullya1400

thickc1400

violently?a1425

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly

swithlyc888

micklelyeOE

swith971

hardOE

un-i-fohOE

sevenfoldlOE

unmeet?c1225

innerlyc1330

horribly1340

too1340

sore1474

horriblec1475

vehemently1483

outrageous1487

done?a1513

exquisite1529

strangely1532

exceeding1535

exceedingly1535

angardlyc1540

angerlyc1540

choicec1540

vengeable1542

vengeably?1550

extremelya1554

monstrous1569

thrice1579

amain1587

extremea1591

damnably1598

fellc1600

tyrannically1602

exquisitely1603

damnedly1607

preciously1607

damnablea1616

impensively1620

excellingly1621

main1632

fearful1634

vengeancelya1640

upsy1650

impensely1657

twadding1657

vastly1664

hideous1667

mainly1670

consumed1707

consumedly1707

outrageously1749

damned1757

nation1771

shockingly1777

deuced1779

darn1789

darned1807

felly1807

varsal1814

awful1816

awfy1816

frightfully1816

deucedly1819

dogged1819

awfully1820

gallowsa1823

shocking1831

tremendously1832

everlasting1833

terribly1833

fearfully1835

ripping1838

poison1840

thundering1853

frighteninglyc1854

raring1854

hell's own1863

goldarned1866

goddamned1870

doggone1871

acutely1872

whooping1874

stupidly1878

everlastingly1879

hideously1882

densely1883

storming1883

good and1885

thunderingly1885

crazy1887

tremendous1887

madly1888

goldarn1892

howling1895

murderously1916

rasted1919

goddam1921

bitchingly1923

Christly1923

bitching1929

falling-down1930

lousy1932

appallingly1937

stratospherically1941

Christ almighty1945

effing1945

focking1956

dagnab1961

drop-dead1980

hella1987

totes2006

the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > fastening > condition of being fast bound or firmly fixed > [adverb]

fasteOE

fastlyeOE

hardOE

hetefastea1225

file-fasta1250

sickerlyc1275

stiff1525

tighta1625

soundly1632

starkly1819

tightlya1865

bracingly1874

OE Crist III 1017 Nis ænig wundor hu him woruldmonna seo unclæne gecynd..hearde ondrede.

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xiv. 148 Þeah ðe ða heafodmen hearde wiðcwædon and mid forsewennysse symle ðwyrodon.

a1225 (?c1175) Poema Morale (Lamb.) 157 in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 169 Þer we muȝen bon eþe offerd and herde [a1200 Trin. Cambr. harde] us adreden.

c1300 St. Barnabas (Laud) 81 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 28 Huy tormenteden him harde and stronge.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 390 Corineus herwiþ harde smot.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Coll. Phys.) l. 20736 (MED) Þidurwarde þei hyȝed hem harde.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 33 (MED) Þe kyng Anlaf so hard gan he chace Þat he asked Cristendom opon Godes grace.

a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 5 (MED) Grete lobour þat he hadde on the day Afore made him to slepe hard.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) 2 Chron. xviii. 33 A certayne man bended his bowe harde.

c1595 Countess of Pembroke Psalme liv. 6 in Coll. Wks. (1998) II. 54 Strangers..Who hunt me hard.

1634 H. Peacham Gentlemans Exercise (new ed.) 68 Presse it downe hard.

1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World xii. 338 He strikes the Gong as hard as he can.

1723 D. Defoe Hist. Col. Jack (ed. 2) 151 We work'd Hard.

a1777 S. Foote Capuchin (1778) i. 106 His majesty looked at me very hard.

1824 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto XV xix. 14 Speculating..On what may suit..my story, And never straining hard to versify.

1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. xlvi. 16 He..bid the cabman drive hard.

1937 New Statesman 28 Aug. 307/1 The Agricultural Workers' Union is fighting hard to get nurserymen of the market-garden variety..to pay a decent living wage.

1955 Simple Gymnastics (‘Know the Game’ Series) 22 Extend the hips and push hard with the hands.

2013 Avenue (Univ. Glasgow) June 24/2 The Adam Smith Business School is working hard to draw talented staff to Glasgow.

b. With reference to the blowing of wind, falling of snow or rain, or other phenomena of weather: strongly, violently. Cf. hard adj. 15b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > bad weather > [adverb] > violently

stoura1300

hardc1330

fiercea1400

strainably1511

c1330 (?c1300) Bevis of Hampton (Auch.) 4580 Þe wind blew hardde wiþ gret rage.

a1400 Siege Jerusalem (Laud) (1932) 55 Þe racke myd a rede wynde roos on þe myddel.., Blewe on þe brode se, bolned vp harde.

1591 J. Lyly Endimion Epil. sig. K3^v The wind blew hard, the man wrapped his garment about him harder.

a1665 K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. to Mediterranean (1868) 51 It blew hard all night.

1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World ii. 13 It rained very hard.

1704 tr. Jrnl. Seven Sailors in Greenland in Coll. Voy. & Trav. II. 420/1 It Snowed and Thawed very hard at Night with the same South Wind.

1798 Ld. Nelson 28 Dec. in Dispatches & Lett. (1845) III. 212 The next day it blew harder than I ever experienced since I have been at sea.

1823 J. Purdy Columbian Navigator ii. 98 When it comes to blow and rain very hard, you may be sure the wind will fly round to the north-west quarter.

1864 J. W. Carlyle Lett. III. 237 If it..snows as hard there as here.

1927 R. Kipling Limits & Renewals (1932) 159 It was raining hard, and the car skidded badly.

1977 J. R. Townsend Xanadu MS xviii. 152 The sun shone hard down into the canyon.

2003 F. Shaw Sweetest Thing 312 The snow was falling so hard,..it was all I could do to see my way round past the station and on to The Mount.

c. Chiefly modifying adjectives. To a great degree; very, extremely. U.S. colloquial in later use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > very

tooc888

swith971

wellOE

fullOE

rightc1175

muchc1225

wellac1275

gainlya1375

endlyc1440

hard?1440

very1448

odda1500

great1535

jolly1549

fellc1600

veryvery1649

gooda1655

vastly1664

strange1667

bloody1676

ever so1686

heartily1727

real1771

precious1775

quarely1805

murry1818

très1819

freely1820

powerfula1822

gurt1824

almighty1830

heap1832

all-fired1833

gradely1850

real1856

bonny1857

heavens1858

veddy1859

canny1867

some1867

oh-so1881

storming1883

spanking1886

socking1896

hefty1898

velly1898

fair dinkum1904

plurry1907

Pygmalion1914

dinkum1915

beaucoup1918

dirty1920

molto1923

snorting1924

honking1929

hellishing1931

thumpingly1948

way1965

mega1966

mondo1968

seriously1970

totally1972

mucho1978

stonking1990

tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) viii. l. 138 Aysel that sour hard is [L. aceti acerrimi].

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 486 Sir Lamorak was harde byg for hym.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 59^v His hore was hard blake on his hed stode.

1832 T. Robbins Diary 9 Jan. (1887) II. 250 Mr. Jenney is hard sick, and the child, I think, is a little better.

a1910 ‘O. Henry’ Trimmed Lamp (1916) 16 He isn't a millionaire so hard that you could notice it, anyhow.

2008 E. Bear Hell & Earth iv. xx. 178 Odd that Will should come down hard sick this day of all days.

d. Without moderation, to excess; persistently; recklessly, with abandon.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > lack of moderation or restraint > [adverb]

unordinatelyc1384

untemperately1398

unmeasurablyc1400

unmannerly?a1425

unmeasurablec1443

inordinatelyc1450

riotously?c1450

immoderately1482

surfeitlyc1503

unsoberlyc1540

dissolutely1561

intemperantly1561

unbridledly1561

hard1569

intemperately1576

ahoit1598

high1602

extravagantly1660

overboard1931

1569 N. Haward tr. Seneca Line of Liberalitie iii. xxiv. f. 118^v This Paulus after he had dronk hard, had lyst to make water.

1611 L. Barry Ram-Alley iv. sig. G4 I haue bin drinking hard.

1625 F. Bacon Apophthegmes 138 Demades the Oratour, in his age was talkatiue, and would eat hard.

1705 J. Collier Ess. Moral Subj.: Pt. III 166 When a Man drinks hard, the Blood boils over, and the Passions rise, and grow mutinous.

1756 C. Anstey Mem. Noted Buckhorse I. iii. 28 There was good Company; we drank hard; I carried off a Gallon.

1804 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1956) II. 1119 He is a sad loose Liver. Drinks hard, smokes hard, cannot bear to be alone.

1883 Harper's Mag. Oct. 783/2 In the country the earl loved a life of primitive simplicity, but he had a reputation for living hard when in his chambers in town.

1922 K. Norris Certain People of Importance viii. 137 They also fought, ate, drank, and lived hard.

1996 Village Voice (N.Y.) 12 Mar. 64/5 The ‘weekender’ lifestyle—partying hard on the weekends to stave off the looming emptiness of life.

a. So as to cause oppression, pain, difficulty, or hardship; cruelly, harshly; frequently in passive. Also: in a manner that involves suffering, difficulty, or hardship. Cf. to be hard put to it at put v. Phrases 2b. See also hard-set adj. 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adverb]

heavilyc897

sharplyc900

hardeOE

sharpc1000

sorec1000

hardlyOE

etelichec1175

sorelyc1275

straita1300

sourc1300

grievously1303

drearilya1400

foullya1400

felly?c1400

snapelyc1420

durely1477

penallya1500

shrewlya1529

shrewdlyc1533

asperously1547

heinouslya1555

sensibly1613

instantly1638

shrowardly1664

severelya1682

atrociously1765

punishingly1839

eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) i. xvi. 68 Ond þeah ðe þæt wiite hwene heardor & strongor don sy [L. cum paulo districtius agitur], þonne is hit of lufan to donne.

OE Judith 216 Him þæt hearde wearð æt ðam æscplegan eallum forgolden.

OE Homily: Invention of Cross (Auct. F.4.32) in M.-C. Bodden Old Eng. Finding of True Cross 83 Gif hwylc man si hearde ofhingred.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4396 Ich wes..hærde [c1300 Otho herde] bi-ðrungen.

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 492 Now witterly ich am vn-wis..þus vn-hendly & hard mi herte to blame.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3470 Als womman þat ful hard was stad.

c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. i. l. 28 Al for þe loue of oure lorde [lyueden] [MS lyuend] ful harde, In hope to haue a gode ende.

a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) vii. §12. 26 Swa mykill the haldere [read hardere; ?c1400 Sidney Sussex harder] will he punysch if thai mend thaim noght.

a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. vxxxii. f. xxxii/2 The kynge was soo harde beset with the forenamed Enemyes that he was constrayned..to send for peynems as the Saxons to helpe..to defende his lande.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 156 The poore gese were so hard handled.

1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion i. 12 By their impious pride how hard she was bested, When all the Country swam with blood of Saxons shed.

1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. ii. i. 38 Having fared very hard already.

1771 ‘Junius’ Stat Nominis Umbra (1772) II. l. 193 I will not bear hard upon your..friend.

1817 J. F. Pennie Royal Minstrel vii. 160 He, good noble youth, Has been himself hard treated by the world.

1848 Mass. Q. Rev. June 335 The Discoverers and Organizers often fare hard in the world, lean men, ill-clad and suspected, often laughed at.

1922 H. H. Johnston Veneerings 61 It's a long story I've got to tell... I've been very hard treated.

2009 T. S. Drønen Communication & Conversat. in Northern Cameroon ii. 45 Traditional religion suffered hard from this campaign, altars and ‘idols’ being destroyed.

†b. With reference to the trotting of a horse: in a jolting manner, at an uncomfortable pace. Also figurative. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > rate of motion > [adverb] > at an uneasy pace

hard1530

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement f. ccccvi^v/1 This horse trotteth so harde that he hath weryed me more than I was a gret whyle.

?1553 tr. Pope Pius II Hist. Ladye Lucres & Eurialus sig. G.ii Husband thou art heauy and weake, and thy horse goeth hard, borowe therfore some ambeling horse.

a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) iii. ii. 331 He [sc. Time] trots hard with a yong maid, between the contract of her marriage, and the day it is solemnizd.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. vii. 150 A trotting horse, when he sets hard, and goes of an uneasy pace.

1760 tr. A. De La Sale Fifteen Comforts of Matrimony viii. 66 The horse trots too hard, and makes her sick.

1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well I. vii. 164 I am heated, and my pony trotted hard.

1900 J. Withcombe in Sheep, Hogs & Horses Pacific Northwest (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 177) 26 An animal that..is not very active and trots hard.

3. Firmly, securely; tightly.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > absence of movement > [adverb] > in a stable manner > firmly (fixed)

stronglyeOE

fasteOE

stitha1000

hardOE

fastlyOE

steadfasta1300

stithlya1300

steevec1330

a-rootc1374

firmlyc1374

hard and fastc1380

sadc1380

sadlya1398

steadfastlya1400

stronga1400

stalworthlyc1440

solidatively?1541

hardfast1548

secure1578

sickera1586

solidly?1611

tighta1625

securely1642

steevely1790

inexcussably1816

tightly1866

OE Genesis B 444 Hæleðhelm on heafod asette and þone full hearde geband.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 14783 Moysæs ræw off þatt follc, Þatt swa wass haldenn harrde.

c1225 (?c1200) St. Juliana (Bodl.) 554 [M]e brohte hire uorð..& bunden hire þer to hearde & heteueste.

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1186 Bynd hem herde wyþ yre & steel & pote hem in stokkes of trow.

c1410 (c1350) Gamelyn (Harl. 7334) l. 350 Gamelyn was itake and ful hard ibounde.

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 227 Harde sett [1499 Pynson or obstynat] yn wyckydnesse.., obstinatus.

a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 246 All the hollis wes stoppit hard.

1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene v. iv. sig. P3^v With both his hands behinde him pinnoed hard .

1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet ii. i. 88 He tooke me by the wrist, and held me hard .

1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. xii. 214 A Pin..to fit hard and stiff into the round Hole.

1720 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) at Pyritis A precious Stone which burns the Fingers, if one holds it hard.

1772 R. Warner tr. Plautus Discov. v. iii, in B. Thornton et al. tr. Plautus Comedies III. 178 You but lose time, while I'm at liberty. So instant tie my hands, and tie them hard.

1833 L. Ritchie Wanderings by Loire 241 Bound hard and fast.

1883 Harper's Mag. Aug. 386/3 A large black dog jumped out from the ditch, and scared the old horse so that I had to hold on hard.

1919 Everybody's Mag. Jan. 21/3 He shot up a full inch, stiffened, searched her with smoldering eyes, then he held her hard against him.

1958 H. L. Humes Underground City ii. xxii. 492 Before the Owl realized his intent he had tossed the pistol underhand across the room to Armand, who caught it hard.

2013 Sunday Tasmanian (Nexis) 5 May 21 Rope burns his wrists, which are tied hard to a post.

4. With difficulty or trouble; laboriously. Also: †hardly, scarcely (obsolete). Now somewhat rare, except in compounds with a past participle (see Compounds 1c).to die hard: see die v.¹ 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adverb] > with difficulty

uneathc888

arvethlichec1000

uneathsc1200

hardc1300

albusyc1325

wondsomely?a1400

hardlya1425

narrowlyc1450

unreadilyc1454

a-pain1487

uneasily1600

scarce1667

scarcely1697

ill1832

c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 1447 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 148 Þe knottes gnowen al is flechs..harde miȝte he sitte a-doun, and harde ligge al-so.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xviii. 24 How hard [L. difficile] thei that han richessis schulen entre in to the rewme of God.

a1425 (a1400) Titus & Vespasian l. 1114 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1904) 112 26/1 (MED) Jacob, nowe I am ascaped harde.

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 299 He was heled harde with the lyff.

1537 tr. H. Latimer Serm. to Clergie sig. B.vii^v Nowe hard and scant, ye may finde any corner..where many of his chylderne be not.

1591 E. Spenser Prosopopoia in Complaints sig. N3 These be the wayes, by which without reward Liuings in Court be gotten, though full hard.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §830 Solid bodies foreshow rain, as boxes and pegs of wood when they draw and wind hard.

1664 T. Killigrew Parsons Wedding iii. v in Comedies & Trag. 116 She requires me..to send back by you the Pearl she gave me this morning; which sure she'd never do if she were sober; for you know, I earn'd them hard.

1796 F. Burney Camilla III. vi. vi. 261 Who'd give you your money again when you'd spent it? I got mine hard enough. I sha'n't fool it away in a hurry, I promise you!

1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake iii. 111 And hard his labouring breath he drew.

1917 E. Hough Man Next Door x. 119 Them people went away at last—even our little Dutch band, though they give up hard.

2013 P. Gelder Total Loss 153 Twisting the drill chuck a quarter turn at a time by hand (the rusting handle turned hard) had chafed the soaked skin of our fingers.

5. So as to be hard (chiefly in sense 1 of the adjective); to the point of hardness.Frequently in compounds with a past participle: see Compounds 1d.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adverb]

harda1387

marmoreallya1846

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 325 The see is hard i-frore [L. congelatum et concretum].

a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 6455 (MED) Þus may men se by an egge hard dight, How heven and erthe and helle standes right.

1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors ii. f. 10 Being very near compact, & as it wer hard tempered together.

1580 J. Hester tr. L. Fioravanti Short Disc. Chirurg. sig. F^v Set it in a forneyes, and giue it gentle fire vntill all the substance be come forth, the which oyle will be congealed hard.

1651 J. French Art Distillation i. 39 Take Hen-egs boyled hard.

1665 C. Merrett Acct. Freezing 15 in R. Boyle New Exper. & Observ. Cold Oranges and Limons frozen have a tough and hard rind;..they were both frozen hard in 26. hours or a little more.

1730 J. Thomson Winter in Seasons 222 The whiter snow, Incrusted hard.

1785 Mem. Literary & Philos. Soc. Manch. 1 97 The flesh they eat almost raw, and without salt; using by way of bread to it, other flesh, dried hard in the smoke.

a1825 R. Forby Vocab. E. Anglia (1830) Scrabbed-eggs, a lenten dish, composed of eggs boiled hard.

1881 E. B. Tylor Anthropol. xi. 274 The earliest potters came to see that they could shape the clay alone and burn it hard.

1904 Southern Planter Apr. 236/1 A piece of land with a northern exposure on his place had been hard frozen from the second week in November to the second week in March.

2007 S. D. Eby Comrades & Commissars v. 97 It was never cold enough to freeze the ankle-deep mud and never warm enough to bake it hard.

a. In close proximity (either in time or space), esp. so as to be adjacent; very near; immediately. Chiefly preceding a prepositional phrase, esp. with at (cf. at hand at hand n. Phrases 1a(a)), on, or upon. Cf. hard on (also at, upon) the heels of at Phrases 2 and hard by adv.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > distance > nearness > [adverb] > immediately near

harda1400

immediately1466

proximately1598

proximelyc1600

presently1601

instantly1849

the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > [adverb] > near in time > near or close to a point in time

neara1325

hard1535

onwards of1695

a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 294 (MED) Wiþ þis oynement þou schalt anointe þe place harde aȝen þe fier.

c1430 N. Love Mirror Blessed Life (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 146 Oure lorde..answered harde aȝeyne, reprouynge hem.

1511 Pylgrymage Richarde Guylforde (Pynson) f. xlv^v We..laye amoste harde abrode, the grete vggly rokkes.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Job xvii. 1 I am hard at deathes dore.

1582 N. Lichefield tr. F. L. de Castanheda 1st Bk. Hist. Discouerie E. Indias xii. 29 b The King..came in a great boate hard to our Fleete.

1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 242 Wotton Basset bordeth hard vpon this.

1743 T. Dowie Country Man's Compan. 43 O follow hard, no longer make Delay.

c1771 S. Foote Maid of Bath iii. 50 You are hard upon sixty.

1813 W. Scott Bridal of Triermain ii. Interlude i. 104 While conjuring wand Of English oak is hard at hand.

1865 W. M. Thackeray in Daily News (1896) 27 Jan. 4/7 Who will one of these days run you hard for the Presidentship.

1897 F. Hall in Notes & Queries 17 Apr. 310/1 Incongruity which trenches hard on nonsense.

1904 C. A. Mason White Shield xix. 142 Every man and woman aware that the awful moment, so dreaded yet so desired, must be hard at hand.

1969 M. Pugh Last Place Left xxiii. 178 In a booming bistro..we sat hard against a gracious liver who called the bread the club of death.

2007 J. McCourt Now Voyagers iv. 139 Faith gave way to faithlessness hard upon the fall of Montségur.

b. Nautical. With reference to the steering or manoeuvring of a ship: right (round) to the specified position or direction, in hard-alee, hard-a-port, hard-a-starboard, hard up (cf. up adv.¹ 6e), etc. (frequently as a command).The adverbial phrases are occasionally used as verbs: see hard-a-port v., hard-a-starboard v.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > steering > [adjective] > specific position of tiller

hard up1745

steady1816

c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) vi. 32 Hail doune the steir burde lufe harde a burde.

1625 M. Pring in S. Purchas Pilgrimes I. v. vii. 651 We put the helme hard aweather, thinking that the ship would haue come round, but all in vaine.

1689 M. Taubman Londons Great Jubilee 10 Helm a Lee, starboard, hard a Port, thus, keep her thus.

1707 London Gaz. No. 4380/2 We clap'd our Helm hard a Starboard.

1745 Def. made by John Ambrose 5 I began to engage the Enemy, and continued to do all in my Power to get nigher to them, yawing the Ship, and ordering the Helm to be put hard up, sometimes the one Way, and sometimes the other.

1788 J.-N. de Sauseuil tr. J. Bourdé de Villehuet Manœuverer ii. ix. 116 The helm put hard a-lee, and the head sheets let fly.

1808 M. L. Weems Life G. Washington (ed. 6) xi. 137 Washington then boldly seized the helm, and with a hard-a-lee, luffed up his ship at once to the gale.

1835 ‘F. Grummet’ Grummett's Log 127 The sonorous and deep voice of Captain Dashall exclaimed, ‘Hard a port the helm!’ The tiller was instantly jammed hard over.

1839 F. Marryat Phantom Ship I. x. 216 Hard a-port! flatten in forward!

1874 F. G. D. Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. x. 310 Hard up the helm... La barre au vent.

1913 W. B. Meloney Girl of Golden Gate xxx. 283 ‘Hard up! Hard up!’ cried Paul in alarm. Blindly Emily recovered herself and put the helm up. The Daphne fell off before the wind.

1990 J. Updike Rabbit at Rest i. 128 What I'm going to do is something called coming about, hard alee.

2000 Vanity Fair May 96/2 He turned to the man at the Dauphin's wheel and ordered, ‘Hard up the helm’.

c. With reference to direction: sharply, abruptly (in the direction specified). Cf. hard adj. 24.

ΚΠ

1866 W. M. Roberts Rep. Ohio River 20 Dec. in River & Harbor Improvem. (1867) 301 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (39th Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc. 56) IX. Below this bar the river turns hard to right.

1919 Army & Navy Reg. (Washington) 1 Feb. 155/2 As it was seen the chasers could not clear the light cruisers, the unit went hard left.

1975 C. E. Funnell By Beautiful Sea (1983) i. 23 The train turns hard right to skirt Absecon Bay.

2012 Southland (N.Z.) Times (Nexis) 2 June 6 As [the speeding driver] approached roadworks he panicked and swerved hard left..and hit a tree.

a. Chiefly with reference to sleeping or resting: on a hard surface, floor, etc. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adverb] > on a hard surface

hard1573

1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry f. 18^v At Mighelmas safely, go stye vp thy bore,..and better hee brawneth, if harde he do lye.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iv. f. 161 The harder they lye, the sooner they fatte.

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 302 That so he may lie soft and stand hard.

1761 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy IV. xv. 118 I love to lie hard and alone, and even without my wife.

1863 ‘G. Eliot’ Romola II. ii. xviii. 219 He was content to lie hard, and live stintedly—he had spent the greater part of his remaining money in buying another poniard.

1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped xviii. 173 Ye maun lie bare and hard, and brook many an empty belly.

a1942 J. S. Neilson Poems (1965) 86 Softly she sang for its sweet rest, And you were sleeping hard and cold.

b. Chiefly in Russian or Chinese contexts: using the lowest class of accommodation available on a train.Used with reference to the unupholstered or poorly upholstered seats in such accommodation. Cf. hard adj. 1c(b), soft adv. 1c.

ΚΠ

1893 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang III. 267/2 Hard,..3. Third-class... ‘Do you go hard or soft?’ = ‘Do you go third or first?’

1914 Blackwood's Mag. June 844/2 To a body that usually travels ‘hard’,..it is..agreeable to be able to travel for once like a prince.

1937 W. Duranty Babies without Tails 29 I found myself one night in a third-class compartment in Siberia—traveling hard they called it.

1976 Times 13 Nov. 11/1 Trains in China are made up of classless coaches but you travel hard or soft according to your position.

1995 E. V. Gulick Teaching in Wartime China 272 I was travelling ‘hard’, the rough equivalent of third class.

†8. Parsimoniously; so as to minimize expenditure. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adverb]

narrowlya1250

feeblyc1290

scarcely1340

straitly1340

strait1390

niggardly?1529

nighly1548

pinchingly1561

close-fisted1575

hard1580

niggishly1580

nearly1591

mincingly1593

costively1598

penuriously1616

neara1625

scantingly1627

parsimoniouslya1634

scrapingly1680

stingily1682

scrimply1690

sneakingly1695

churlishly1875

curmudgeonly1879

skinflintily1899

mingily1958

1580 A. Saker Narbonus ii. 111 If he spend something liberally, then is he prodigall, and neuer mindeth to buy lands: if something hard, then miserable, and a churle.

1672 J. Eachard Mr. Hobbs's State Nature Considered 156 There was a man buying a cloak, as hard as ever he could.

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 155. ⁋3 The Rogues buy as hard as the plainest and modestest Customers they have.

Phrases

P1. to go hard with (chiefly with impersonal it as subject): to turn out badly for; to be to the great disadvantage or detriment of; (also) to be unpleasant, difficult, or distressing for. †it shall go hard but (introducing a statement of what will happen or be done unless overwhelming difficulties prevent it): in all certainty, without doubt (obsolete). Now somewhat archaic.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > [verb (transitive)] > result unfavourably to

to go again ——OE

to go against ——a1425

to go hard with1530

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 550/1 It shall go harde but I wyll fynde one mater or other to breake hym of his purpose.

1582 O. Pigg Comfortable Treat. First Epist. Peter sig. E.iiii^v It must needes goe hard with them, that obey not the gospell.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. i. 83 It shall goe hard but ile proue it by another.

1665 E. Stillingfleet Rational Acct. Protestant Relig. i. ii. 62 The case goes hard with us, for you tell us, Unless we believe them necessary, we cannot be saved.

?1705 E. Hickeringill Vindic. Char. Priest-craft 22 Not a Farthing abated,..which goes hard in Hard-times.

1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho III. xii. 408 I have never seen them [sc. the rooms], since my dear lady died; and it would go hard with me to see them now.

1809 W. Irving Hist. N.Y. I. iii. iii. 141 It shall go hard, but I will make it afford them entertainment.

1855 W. H. Prescott Hist. Reign Philip II of Spain I. i. iii. 98 It might have gone hard with the envoy, had the mistake not been discovered.

1909 J. Flagg Flagg's Flats (ed. 3) ix. 261 Unquestionably he knew that if the case should be reviewed by this high court it would go hard with him.

1941 M. Mitchell Let. 11 Oct. (1986) 350 I imagine it went hard with a Middle Tennessean to find himself dying, willy-nilly, in an Illinois regiment.

2008 R. Syme Good Death vi. 58 To this day I have managed to avoid falsifying another death certificate. That aspect went hard with me, as I detest dishonesty.

P2. hard on (also at, upon) the heels of and variants: closely following (either in time or space); in close pursuit of; very soon after. Cf. at (also on, upon, †in) a person's heels at heel n.¹ and int. Phrases 1a(a), hot on the heels of at hot adj. and n.¹ Phrases 6b.In early use chiefly after verbs of following or pursuit.

ΚΠ

1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Psalmes of Dauid with Comm. (xlix. 13) Death preaceth hard at your heeles.

1598 R. Barckley Disc. Felicitie of Man v. 503 The she-wolf..whose couetousnesse is followed hard at the heeles with enuie.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxvii. xii. 636 Marcellus tracked him still, and followed him hard at heeles.

1687 I. Mather Serm. preached at Boston 11 Mar. 1686 (ed. 2) 94 Hell followes Death hard at the heels.

1703 W. Burkitt Expos. Notes New Test. 2 Tim. iii. 10 St Paul. went to Antioch, from Antioch to Iconium, from Iconium to Lystra, preaching the Gospel; but Persecution followed him hard at the Heels, wherever he went.

1769 J. Barker Nature of Inoculation Explained vii. 28 I have myself known putrid purgings..and obstinate intermittents, following hard upon the heels of a celebrated method.

1834 J. Browne Hist. Highlands I. xiv. 303 As M'Grimmon was hard upon his heels, Leslie purposely stumbled in his way and brought M'Grimmon down to the ground.

1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped iv. 35 A blinding flash..and hard upon the heels of it, a great tow-row of thunder.

1933 Boys' Mag. 47 119/2 He shot by a little group of runners, and in the backstretch was hard upon the heels of the four leaders.

1954 19th-cent. Fiction 9 207 Hard on its heels comes a rowdy scene with..Joseph pitying himself.

2008 Metro (Toronto) 18 Jan. 15/6 Hard on the heels of House & Garden Magazine's closure, another glossy decor title is saying farewell to the printed word.

P3. to take something hard: to be very upset by something; to react to something with anguish, anger, or distress. [After classical Latin graviter ferre.]

ΚΠ

1627 T. Newman tr. Terence Eunuch i. ii, in tr. Terence Two First Comedies 59 Woes me, I feare Phædria hath tane it hard [L. vereor ne illud graviu' Phaedria tulerit] And worse then I did meane it, he was bard His entrance here last day.

a1753 S. Bownas Acct. Life (1756) 127 Thou seems angry, and to resent it, that I should take it ill or hard, to be so treated by a Man of thy Pretensions.

1888 Eng. Illustr. Mag. Apr. 567/2 I was a bit feared she'd take it hard, but I thought it 'ud be better when 'twas done an' couldn't be undone.

1976 Los Angeles Times 11 Nov. (Sports section) 5/1 Like most serious athletes, they take losing hard.

2003 C. Birch Turn again Home xxiii. 276 He was profoundly mourned... Jean and Georgia took it hard.

P4. hard done by: unfairly or harshly treated. Cf. to do by —— 1 at do v. Phrasal verbs 1.

ΚΠ

1817 Norfolk Election Budget No. 6. 46 Small farmers he thought were very hard done by, By duty on horses that toil'd on the land.

1898 E. N. Westcott David Harum (1900) xx. 197 Mebbe I've ben hard done by all my hull life.

1959 P. Bull I know Face i. 24 We..all..felt hard done-by.

2002 A. N. Wilson Victorians (2003) ix. 106 Elliotson, a combative man with a tendency to consider himself hard done by, was eventually hounded out by the medical ‘establishment’.

P5. hard all: with one's utmost strength or effort; ‘all out’. Now rare.Chiefly with reference to rowing.

ΚΠ

1851 E. D. G. M. Kirwan tr. A. de Castro Hist. Jews Spain 256 The boatswain..gives a whistle to the galley-slaves, who pull hard all [Sp. todos bogan] and speed the galley on.

1860 Macmillan's Mag. Mar. 323/1 Open books, note-books, and maps showed that the Captain read, as he rowed, ‘hard all’.

1907 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. July 143 Pull hard all, Hard for the Golden Hynde.

Compounds

C1. With participles and participial adjectives.

(a) With the sense ‘with force, energy, or persistence; to a great or excessive degree’.

ΚΠ

1638 J. Suckling Aglaura iii. 17 I, like a hard hunted Deere, Have only hearded here.

1682 J. Banks Unhappy Favourite iii. 32 Malitious Flames flasht in a moment from Thy Eyes like Lightning from thy O'recharg'd Soul, And fir'd thy Breast, which like a hard ramm'd Piece, Discharg'd unmannerly upon my face.

1795 J. Gurney Trial T. Hardy III. 104 Squandering away the honey produced by such immense numbers of hard-toiling and industrious bees.

1851 C. A. Bristed Five Years Eng. University 40 Passing for a terribly hard-reading man, and a ‘Sim’ of the straightest kind.

1875 Encycl. Brit. III. 264/1 The beam consists of a perforated flat rhombus..made in one piece out of..hard-hammered brass.

1936 Street & Smith's Western Story Mag. 14 Mar. 11/2 His hard-scuffed boots and his range hat marked him as the genuine article.

1975 W. Henry I, Tom Horn ii. 84 One old squaw cracked me on my thigh muscle with a hard-hurled knobby club.

2012 New Yorker 10 Sept. 25/1 A bride..whose hard-partying bridesmaids..turn her wedding chaotic.

(b)

hard-biting adj.

ΚΠ

1659 Army Mastered (single sheet) Plucking the rights and priviledges of these distracted Countrys out of the jawes of these hardbiting and all devouring Lyons.

1785 European Mag. & London Rev. May 360/1 The Thanes of the Counties..have fled from thee like cackling Geese from the hard biting Fox.

1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales II. 162 No animal is so hard-biting as an otter.

1939 Life 13 Nov. 19/3 The humid air was filled with mosquitoes, hard-biting tropical bugs and lovely butterflies.

2002 J. D. Mayer in S. J. Wayne & S. Wilcox Election of Cent. iii. 58 The hard-biting rhetoric of Gore's last few weeks of campaigning.

hard-contested adj.

ΚΠ

1730 M. Pilkington Poems Several Occasions 162 Swiftly as the Chariot flies, To win the hard-contested Prize.

1832 Amer. Turf Reg. Feb. 271 This was a beautiful and hard contested race between four of the best horses then in America.

1917 J. Stefansson Denmark & Sweden xviii. 141 It was a hard-contested struggle; the Danish loss was 4700 in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

2013 Scotsman (Nexis) 25 Oct. 55 They've been hard fought, hard contested games.

hard-drinking adj.

ΚΠ

1707 J. Quinton Pract. Observ. Physick & Surg. 113 Two or three times I had Patients (hard drinking Men, and of hot Constitutions) that bled..from under the Tongue.

1839 G. A. Young Canad. Question ii. 35 There was no stint of generous wine, for it was a hard drinking period.

1938 Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct. 23/2 This lonely little outpost with its heavy-fisted, bragging, hard-drinking ruffians was Gerry Carlyle's only hope of reaching Strike in time to save him.

2013 Master Detective Apr. 28/2 Even by the standards of its hard-drinking guests, this was going to be the mother of all parties.

hard-driving adj.

ΚΠ

1771 R. Michell Poems 24 The hard-driving Billows hoarsely roaring round.

1815 T. Chalmers Let. in Mem. (1850) II. 18 A heartless, hard driving, distracting, and wearing out life among the bustle of unministerial work.

1898 S. R. Crockett Standard Bearer x A great, strong, kindly, hard-driving ‘nowt’ of a man.

1924 Princeton Alumni Weekly 21 May 702/1 Harvard..by dint of heroic effort and courage nosed out the hard-driving New Haven combination by a half length.

1951 M. McLuhan Mech. Bride 157/1 The cowboy is as non-erotic as the hard-driving executive.

2007 Time Out N.Y. 29 Mar. 124/4 The roughed-up guitar riffs and hard-driving beats still rip with bluesy urgency.

hard-fighting adj.

ΚΠ

1786 C. Fletcher Maritime State Considered (Dublin ed.) ix. 83 A British sailor..is not only an hard working, but an hard fighting man.

1864 J. H. Burton Scot Abroad I. ii. 91 The hard-fighting clans near the Border.

1913 Collier's 13 Dec. 27/1 He was an aggressive, hard-fighting, and alert lineman, who did his best work under fire.

2001 Independent 7 May i. 13/6 Hard-working, hard-drinking, hard-fighting men, they became the backbone of the rural economy.

hard-ridden adj.

ΚΠ

1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Prikid, hard ridden.

1776 S. J. Pratt Pupil of Pleasure II. cix. 241 A person dismounted, from a panting, hard-ridden horse.

1869 Oriental Sporting Mag. 15 Feb. 141 This was won by Nat after two hard ridden heats.

1950 Boys' Life Feb. 52/3 Park..saw four men near the river, and four hard-ridden ponies.

2009 K. Cameron Top Dead Center 2 154 Look at the front tire of a hard-ridden machine as it enters a turn.

hard-riding adj.

ΚΠ

1650 J. Row Wounds Kirk o' Scotl. 4 The Bishops, thur hard-riding Lowns, they got on her back.

1826 Bell's Life in London 5 Mar. 79/1 As is the case with most hard-riding men, Sir Bellingham Graham has had some severe falls.

1901 Wide World Mag. 8 113/1 The hard-riding, straight-shooting sons of Australia and New Zealand.

2009 Independent 24 Mar. (Life section) 5/4 He was a hard-riding, romantic man of action.

hard-running adj.

ΚΠ

1696 Post Man 14 Nov. A large Pack of noted hard running, very handsome, good hunting Beagles.

1781 P. Beckford Thoughts on Hunting xv. 191 The hounds most likely to be right, are the hard-running line-hunting hounds.

1882 29th Ann. Rep. Mass. Board Agric. 385 They broke the ‘stubborn glebe’ with a hard-running plough.

1952 C. Day Lewis tr. Virgil Aeneid v. 98 The hard-running waves off Malea.

2013 FourFourTwo Jan. 93/3 From hot-headed, hard-running targetman to headline-grabbing goal machine.

hard-sought adj.

ΚΠ

1727 P. Frowde Fall of Saguntum ii. 33 No longer dares he the close Chase pursue; Aw'd, yet with Rage indignant, stalks away, And to the nobler Brute resigns his hard-sought Prey.

1835 Dublin Penny Jrnl. 21 Feb. 271/2 I seized my hard sought prize.

1909 J. Jusserand Lit. Hist. Eng. People III. 162 His [sc. Shakespeare's] most wonderful inventions were not hard-sought finds.

2002 K. Chisholm Hungry Hell ii. 46 Anyone who suggested that perhaps I would feel better if I ate a little more was actually asking me to defile that hard-sought purity.

hard-swearing adj.

ΚΠ

1779 Indictm., Trial & Condemnation Admiral Keppel 39 That uniform steadiness, the envy of the Admiral's enemies, and confusion of hard-swearing men.

1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake II. xxxii. 179 It might seem strange that..short-spoken, hard-headed, hard-swearing warriors, could allow complacently a smooth churchman to dawdle on thus.

1915 Mid-west Q. Oct. 47 A tobacco-chewing, hard-swearing, unlovely race of men.

2009 D. E. Sutherland Savage Confl. ii. 32 The six-foot-two-inch, hard-swearing captain.

hard-working adj.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [adjective] > diligent or industrious

busyOE

swinkfulOE

laboriousa1393

virtuousc1450

eident1529

operose1546

laboursome1552

industrious1591

work-likea1642

work-brittle1647

notable1666

nitle1673

hard-working1682

worksome1830

shirtsleeve1864

workful1875

society > occupation and work > working > [adjective] > working > working (too) hard

swinking?c1225

hard-working1682

driven1797

grinded1833

slave-driven1933

1682 T. Tryon Healths Grand Preservative ii. 16 Hard working rough Trades and Imployments.

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth II. 224 The hard working wives of the peasants.

1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xxviii. 371 Five nights' camping out in the snow, with hard-working days between.

1881 C. M. Yonge Lads & Lasses Langley ii. 97 She knelt upon the grass, with her bare hard-working knotty hands clasped.

1917 V. Eliot Let. 22 Oct. in T. S. Eliot Lett. (1988) I. 202 She is clean and hard-working, an excellent cook and a most finished servant altogether.

1975 Investors Chron. 28 Feb. 589/1 He is not a slave driver but somehow generates an extremely hard-working atmosphere.

2013 FourFourTwo Jan. 86/2 A hard-working, technically excellent defender.

(a) With the sense ‘with hardship or severity; harshly’.

ΚΠ

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. xxviii. f. 227 Like a hard-kept warde new come to his lands.

1637 J. Milton Comus 29 In hard besetting need.

1700 C. P. Sheepherd's New Kalender 33 Those Nice Bodys, Living at Ease, are of a soft delicious Temper; so the Infection seizes them sooner than Labourious hard-fareing Bodys.

?1770 G. Cooke Compl. Eng. Farmer iv. 47 The Gargle..is an inflammation of the head and throat, to which common and hard kept horses are very subject.

1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) iii. 121 Such a hard-looking gentleman, that she involuntarily dropped her eyes and her curtsey at the same time.

1851 C. Brontë Let. 31 Mar. (2000) II. 593 I dare offer no word of sympathy to Cornhill—hard-tasked as are its energies just now.

1872 H. M. Stanley How I found Livingstone vi. 206 We threw ourselves down to rest and sleep, until dawn should reveal what else was in store for the hard-dealt with caravans.

1894 Lancaster Law Rev. 11 288/1 Some hard-treated..Scotch-Irish pioneers found their way into the forbidden territory.

1904 J. S. Jones Seeing Darkly (1911) iii. 60 He has only given a thin slice and paring of his superabounding wealth to a hard-bested and struggling cause.

1916 H. F. Harrison in Friends of France ii. 15 No flesh-wounded hoppers these, but hard-punished men.

1994 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 13 Dec. 10 Some members of the legal fraternity speak of the retiring judge as humourless and hard-sentencing.

(b)

hard-judging adj.

ΚΠ

1739 W. Shirley Parricide iii. ii. 29 Adieu, hard-judging Fair, and, oh, believe I'd hate you from Resentment,—if I could.

1844 Brit. Churchman Aug. 311 The poor outcast, who from home is driven By the hard-judging world's self-righteous pride.

1920 M. Nesbitt Lamps of Fire iii. 56 We condemn ourselves..to a narrow, hard-judging, self- centered existence.

2011 Times (Nexis) 5 Feb. (Mag.) 30 I was trying to act as a kind but hard-judging person would want me to act.

hard-pressing adj.

ΚΠ

1715 tr. E. Holdsworth Mouse-trap 10 Our hard-pressing Miseries Are yet removable.

1846 Sc. Congregational Mag. Apr. 148 The closely-calculating, hard-pressing and pinching economy..on the part of the poor hard-wrought labourer.

1938 New Statesman 20 Aug. 282/1 Mr. Lennox Robinson..said that..it was not fair to press the lecturer. But the S.J...was a hard-pressing man.

2013 Sunday Times (Nexis) 10 Feb. 10 Both sides play a high tempo, hard-pressing game.

hard-tried adj.

ΚΠ

1791 C. Plowden Observ. Oath Eng. Rom. Catholics 11 Foreign prelates surrounded by hard-tried divines and celebrated universities.

1856 Fraser's Mag. Nov. 549/1 He will fling back a kindly recognition to his homely, hard-tried ancestress.

1906 Daily Chron. 1 Oct. 3/2 Its purpose of helping the hard-tried bookseller.

1994 H. Bloom Western Canon ii. vi. 161 Don Juan has his hard-tried valet, Sganarelle.

hard-used adj.

ΚΠ

1705 C. Cibber Careless Husband iv. 44 The Resentment of an Hard-us'd, Honourable Lover.

1850 Colburn's U.S. Service Mag. i. 97 That hard working, hard fighting, and often..hard used portion of the forces, commonly called the ‘Line’.

1950 Mind 59 407 Difficulties which can in one sense of a hard-used word be called ‘philosophical’.

2003 Independent (Nexis) 27 Dec. (Features section) 25 Avoid buying a hard-used Espace that could look scruffy.

hard-worked adj.

ΚΠ

1764 P. Miller tr. H. L. Duhamel du Monceau Elements Agric. II. viii. 89 This grain should be sowed very thick, when it is intended to serve as fodder for hard-worked oxen.

1862 C. Darwin Let. 23 June in Corr. (1997) X. 270 How hard-worked you are; do not stretch the string too much.

1958 ‘Miss Read’ Storm in Village xx. 214 The pile of Christmas presents for parents, such as..little hankies bearing here and there a needle-prick of blood from some hard-worked fingers, grew apace.

2004 Bath Chron. (Nexis) 15 Oct. 38 Giving hard-worked players rest time which is absolutely crucial to their physical and mental well-being.

(a) With the sense ‘with difficulty’.

ΚΠ

a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 115 (MED) He þat hauys..a nose þat hauys nosesterles oft greuant, & harde openynge, is Irous.

1594 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis (new ed.) sig. G^v O hard beleeuing loue how strange it seemes! Not to beleeue, and yet too credulous.

1632 J. Vicars tr. Virgil XII Aeneids vi. 158 So shalt thou Stygian groves behold at last, And hard-found courts, which (yet) no mortals past.

1743 H. Fielding Misc. I. 25 Behold the little Race [sc. of Bees] laborious stray, And from each Flow'r the hard-wrought Sweets convey.

1860 Chambers's Jrnl. 19 May 317/2 The patron of the theologians is, queerly enough, the hard-believing apostle Thomas.

1915 Poultry Item Jan. 106/3 I can easily convert this hard digested egg feed [sc. raw oats] into the finest and juiciest green feed imaginable.

2008 W. Van Draanen Sammy Keyes & Cold Hard Cash xi. 86 I really resented spending my hard-found money on the Blackmail Whale.

(b)

hard-acquired adj.

ΚΠ

1702 H. Curson Theory of Sci. Illustr. Pref. sig. A4^v The fatigue of many years supposed laborious Study, which makes them prefer an easy Ignorance before a hard acquired Knowledge.

1826 A. N. Royall Sketches Hist., Life, & Manners U.S. 110 The greater crime would be to debar poor slaves from the only opportunity they have to sell their produce, the hard acquired pittance of many a weary night's labor.

1922 N. Gallizier Lotus Woman xii. 137 The horror of the alternative almost deprived her of her hard acquired self-possession.

2012 Jerusalem Post (Nexis) 20 July 38 I don't know if I am reacting out of grandmotherly hyper-vigilance or hard-acquired wisdom.

hard-bought adj.

ΚΠ

1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 163 The hard-bought Victory.

1849 E. Wilson Script. View Woman's Rights & Duties xi. 349 The female part of the family seem to think that their sole business is to spend the hard-bought earning of their male relations.

1950 Life 16 Oct. 11/1 In most states, teachers are hired and paid almost entirely on the basis of their teaching experience and their own hard-bought education.

2000 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 11 Apr. a13 Anne has secured a hard-bought sense not of happiness but of contentment with her place in life.

hard-earned adj.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > acquisition > [adjective] > obtained or acquired > with difficulty or sacrifice

bought1599

hard-earned1727

1727 A. B. Hist. Saguntum 5 They found their Treasury sunk infinitely too low to satisfy the just Demands, and hard-earn'd Wages of the poor Soldiers.

1847 A. Helps Friends in Council I. ii. 26 The hard-earned gains of civil society.

1921 M. Argo Janet’s Choice 23 Spendrife fowk trintlin' awa' guid hard-earned siller on dress an' trinkums.

2000 R. Bingham Lightning on Sun 211 All the moto drivers were spending their hard-earned cash replacing spark plugs.

hard-gained adj.

ΚΠ

1665 T. Manley tr. H. Grotius De Rebus Belgicis ix. 687 Prince Maurice..hoysted Sayl to Ostend, carrying no other benefit with him of his hard-gained Victory, besides the Glory thereof.

1765 J. Brown Christian Jrnl. 72 What is learning, but an hard gained boast of knowing what was known before!

1860 T. Lowe Central India v. 261 After four days' hard fighting, Jhansi..was in our hands, and a hard gained prize it was.

1911 Pacific Monthly May 82/2 Even the poorest of the homesteaders..have no thought of commercializing their hard-gained comforts.

2012 Sun (Nexis) 4 May 80 Just as Cardiff were getting a hard-gained foothold in this semi-final first-leg clash, Collison struck again.

hard-got adj.

ΚΠ

1596 R. Linche Dom Diego in Diella sig. F^v This young-year'd Hermit..Inrag'd vpon a suddaine throwes away His hard-got foode.

1694 T. D'Urfey Comical Hist. Don Quixote: Pt. 2nd v. ii. 61 Must my hard-got Renown, purchas'd with Danger, be poorly lost through Rosinante's weakness?

1767 New Mod. Story Teller I. 145 Those very persons to whom their defrauded, hard-got property was ostentatiously and improperly given.

1854 Primitive Church Mag. Apr. 101/1 He coaxed out of his mother a hard-got consent to let him go to the Sunday-school.

1994 J. Nunokawa Afterlife of Prop. i. 8 He regards the hard-got family fortune as so much ‘plunder’ that must be renounced.

hard-learnt adj.

ΚΠ

1822 R. H. Dana Idle Man 1 No. 4. 44 If manner too often goes for character—hard learnt rules for native taste..yet it is not so in all things, nor wholly so in any.

1901 J. C. Morison Life & Times St. Bernard iv. i. 359 Zenghis..had had a long apprenticeship in the school of adversity and hard-learnt experience.

2013 Examiner (Austral.) (Nexis) 20 Oct. 22 It was..more like a survival guide, as she regaled them with her own hard-learnt lessons.

hard-won adj.

ΚΠ

1586 W. Warner Albions Eng. iii. xvii. 71 With hard-won Tribute hence the Conquerour did goe.

1645 D. North Forest of Varieties i. 22 Yet would the hardy youth of Greece Have giv'n his hard-won golden fleece With joy and triumph of the prize To clip but such another piece.

1743 London Mag. Jan. 42/1 O painful, hard-won victory!

1844 T. Hood The Mary in Hood's Mag. Jan. 103 Hardwon wages, on the perilous sea.

1922 A. Pound Iron Man in Industry p. xiii Others declare that it is time..to throw overboard age-honored and hard-won possessions.

2012 Independent 14 Dec. 19/3 Russians, like people everywhere, enjoy their hard-won consumer comforts too much.

hard-wrung adj.

ΚΠ

a1766 F. Sheridan Concl. Mem. Miss Sidney Bidulph (1767) V. lx. 165 Sir George made this a preliminary to his hard wrung concession.

1848 E. B. Lee Naomi xvi. 205 Humbly expressing unmerited gratitude for their hard-wrung and niggardly aid.

1914 E. W. Peattie Precipice xxxiv. 407 As she left the room..she heard the hard-wrung groan that came from his lips.

2012 Irish Times (Nexis) 7 Feb. (Features section) 12 Silence greets her hard-wrung apology.

(a) With the sense ‘so as to be hard or tight’.

ΚΠ

1539 R. Taverner tr. W. Capito Summe 150 Psalmes sig. P.vii So as it maye melte the harde frosen hartes.

1606 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iii. 137 A rude Clowne, whose hard-wrought hands, before Nothing but spades, coulters, and bills had bore.

1687 J. Shirley Accomplished Ladies Rich Closet of Rarities (ed. 2) ix. 81 Take the hard roasted yolk of an Egg.

1774 C. J. Phipps Voy. N. Pole App. 154 The axis of the pendulum is of hard-tempered steel.

1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie's Wallet viii. 185 His furrowed brow, His hard braced jaws, his purselled mou', Shewed he was nae beginner.

1896 E. Souchon in R. Park Treat. Surg. II. v. 253 In torticollis by retraction the head cannot be thoroughly straightened, and there is the persistence of a hard-stretched muscular cord.

1910 Operative Miller 15 876/3 The particles of bran..are held together by an agglutinative substance..so as to form..a hard-caked mass.

1962 F. T. Day Introd. Paper 115/1 Flint papers, a base paper coated one side with a colour and afterwards hard burnished or flint glazed to produce a high gloss, water-proof surface.

2006 Independent on Sunday 12 Feb. (Review Suppl.) 25/1 No illness outbreaks have been reported from hard-aged unpasteurised cheeses.

(b)

hard-beaten adj.

ΚΠ

1575 G. Gascoigne Short Obseruation Coursing with Greyhoundes in Noble Arte Venerie 247 Sometimes a Hare that is commonly coursed wil know the countrie: and bycause she coueteth the hard beaten wayes, she will (of hyr self) swarue at such a way.

1645 G. Gillespie Serm. preached before House of Lords 28 Some mens hearts are like the high way, and the hard beaten road, where every foul spirit, and every lust hath walked and conversed.

1741 Chambers's Cycl. (ed. 5) at Hunting Finding himself spent, he will break herd, and fall a doubling and crossing in some hard beaten highway.

1880 W. H. Patterson Gloss. Words Antrim & Down 17 Cawsey, cassy, the paved or hard-beaten place in front of or round about a farmhouse.

1939 E. C. Fisher Seasoned Timber xiv. 191 He..broke into a swinging trot, striking his numbed feet with all his might on the hard-beaten snow of the road.

2003 M. Broida Anc. Israelites & Neighbors i. 9 Floors were usually hard-beaten earth, but some rooms were cobbled.

hard-cured adj.

ΚΠ

1823 Let. 20 June in Fisheries—Eng., France, Netherlands (1831) 246 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (21st Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Doc. 99) III Herrings intended for the continental market are preferred with the crown gut left attached,..neither hard cured nor hard dunted.

1900 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 3rd Ser. 11 35 In a few country districts, farmers still produce hard-cured blocks of what is by courtesy known as ‘bacon’, but which tastes of nothing but salt.

2009 S. R. Tem in E. Datlow Poe 244 The windows all around are double-barred, deep anchored in hard-cured concrete.

hard-dried adj.

ΚΠ

1598 F. Meres Palladis Tamia f. 83^v Swine cannot wallow in hard dryed clay.

1610 A. Nixon Swethland & Poland Warres sig. D3^v We had nothing but pickelled herrings, and salt stremlings, with some small quantity of hard dryed meates.

1721 N. Robinson Compl. Treat. Gravel & Stone i. 64 Let him..abandon as much as possible, the much eating of old kept Cheshire Cheese, as also of gross, hard dry'd, Beef, Pork, &.

1801 tr. M. H. Klaproth Analyt. Ess. Chem. Knowl. Mineral Substances I. i. xx. 250 When this mass is left to desiccate in the grinding-dish, it detaches itself from its sides, in hard-dried [Ger. hartgetrockneten], ribbon-like, and somewhat flexible bands.

1918 R. Pumpelly My Reminisc. II. lii. 732 I sat watching the sinking of a pit on a slightly raised and hard-dried part of the oasis.

2011 B. Budowle et al. Microbial Forensics (ed. 2) 195 He made traditional African drums by using hard-dried African goat and cow hides.

hard-packed adj.

ΚΠ

1828 Sheffield Independent 22 Nov. Cotton..in the shape of hard-packed bales.

1927 Amer. Mercury May 66/1 The sea lifts in a hollow curve of chrysoprase, whose edge goes up in smoking foam along the hard packed beaches.

2005 R. Douglas Night Song Last Tram 113 We all took off in pursuit, slipping and sliding on the hard-packed icy snow.

C2.

† hard-a-weather int., n., and adj. Nautical slang (Obsolete) (a) int. (with reference to the steering or manoeuvring of a ship) right (round) into the weather; (b) n. a tough, hardy person, esp. a sailor; (c) adj. able to withstand severe weather; (of a person, esp. a sailor) tough, hardy.Cf. sense 6b.

ΚΠ

1691 J. Dunton Voy. round World III. ix. 355 Bout-Ship, Stedy! Stedy! Hard-up! Hard-a-weather!

1826 M. H. Barker Greenwich Hosp. 61 ‘There he goes!’ exclaimed a rough old hard-a-weather, pointing to a gladiator-looking sort of a gentleman.

1829 United Service Jrnl. ii. 493 An old, hard-aweather quarter-master said he had a boy as was made a sad villin, by these dientical [sic] felloes, cause they messt together.

1848 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 63 87 [He] wore a remarkably hard-a-weather pilot-coat.

1860 Isle of Wight Observer 3 Oct. The close of September has pretty well closed our yachting season..nevertheless, there are several hard-a-weathers still out.

1901 J. Finnemore Lover Fugitives ii. 31 I'm an old hard-a-weather sailor, and yet there you notch a point in courage clean beyond me.

hard-baked adj. baked until hard; also (and in earliest use) figurative; cf. hard-boiled adj. 2b.

ΚΠ

1594 J. Lyly Mother Bombie ii. iii. sig. D1^v You need not bee so crustie, you are not so hard backt.

1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke iv. 318/2 Take out of a Bakers ouen hard baked Argille, or loame, beate it, and mixe it with Vineger to a poultis.

1655 Duchess of Newcastle Worlds Olio 187 The Body..grows so full of Humours, as obstructs the Nerves and Muscles, with cold, clammy, or hard baked Flegm, as they cannot stir with a sensible Motion.

1781 Med. Museum (ed. 2) III. 609 We find in long voyages even the hard-baked sea bread productive of worms.

1858 W. Ellis Three Visits Madagascar viii. 206 Hard-baked reddish earth.

1958 ‘A. Bridge’ Portuguese Escape i. 13 The Countess is a hard-baked, publicity-minded old So-and-so, with about as much consideration for other people as a sack of dried beans!

2013 Irish Independent (Nexis) 10 Aug. 65 Billeen used to wear horseshoes on the soles of his hard-baked hobnail boots.

hard-bit adj. = hard-bitten adj. 2.

ΚΠ

1886 R. Kipling Departm. Ditties (ed. 2) 108 What a hard-bit gang were we.

1922 H. Clifford Further Side Silence i. 4 These ladies were hard-bit, ill-favoured young women.

1996 Japan Times 29 Apr. 11/2 As much as there is to admire in the hard-bit balladry of ‘Big Dipper’.

hard-bred adj. bred to be hardy.

ΚΠ

1632 R. Brome Northern Lasse i. i. sig. B Shee has a good estate..and were an apt match for one that knew how to governe it, and her; some hard bred Cittizen, crafty Lawyer, or countrey Iustice.

1777 W. Green tr. Horace Odes iv. iv. 171 This hard-bred race, Vain toss'd, and wreck'd on Tuscan seas.

1875 ‘A. Leigh’ New Minnesinger 63 The hard-bred grass doth not fear to brave The roughest storms that may blow.

2001 Jrnl. (Newcastle) (Nexis) 12 June 30 To we hard-bred Northerners, Scotland is just like a home from home.

hard-charging adj. U.S. (a) Sport (chiefly American Football and Motor Racing) that charges or races forcefully or aggressively; (b) figurative energetic, enterprising, ambitious; go-getting.Cf. hard charger n. at hard adj. and n. Compounds 4.

ΚΠ

1912 Kansas City (Missouri) Star 9 Feb. 5 b/1 It was easy enough for a hard charging backfield to gain the yardage.

1934 Syracuse Herald 14 Apr. 1/3 The changes wrought by a hard-charging group of Republican and Democratic independents.

1957 Nevada State Jrnl. 25 May 10/5 The ring-savvy Akins..fended off a hard-charging Beecham for two rounds.

1962 Public Admin. Rev. 22 203/2 C. A. Harrell..has often reminded the hard-charging young manager that ‘I regard myself as the hired hand of the city council’.

1997 Valley Independent (Monessen, Pa.) 15 Aug. b2/6 Button nearly won a feature race..a few weeks ago and is a hard charging driver.

2005 D. M. Abrashoff Get Your Ship Together iii. 76 Roger handed over day-to-day responsibility to a hard-charging young manager who had caught his eye.

hard-cooked adj. cooked until hard; thoroughly cooked; spec. (of an egg) cooked until the white and yolk are solid (cf. hard-boiled adj. 1a).

ΚΠ

1827 Domest. Econ. & Cookery for Rich & Poor 554 Some stomachs cannot digest hard cooked white of egg.

1847 J. Coulter Adventures Western Coast S. Amer. I. iv. 41 I placed..some hard-cooked meat and a few sea-biscuits into my forage-bag.

1932 Extension Mag. Feb. 56/1 There may be thin slices of Swiss Cheese, various sausages, head cheese or liver paté—even hard-cooked or stuffed eggs.

1967 M. Terry Gloaming 14 You eat those hard-cooked carrots for me on Wednesday nights.

2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 26 July d3/2 Taim was among the first to offer the sabich, a pita sandwich of fried eggplant and hard-cooked egg.

hard drawn adj. †(a) (of breath) drawn in with difficulty (obsolete rare); (b) (of wire or tubing) drawn when at room temperature, so that the diameter is reduced without annealing (cf. drawn adj. 3).

ΚΠ

1627 T. May tr. Lucan Pharsalia (new ed.) iv. sig. F8 Breathings hard drawne their ulcer'd palates teare.

?1755 J. Smeaton Descr. New Pyrometer 17 (table) Thick brass with wire hard drawn.

1854 C. Tomlinson Cycl. Useful Arts II. 1011/2 Hard-drawn and unannealed wires..are straightened..by drawing them through a riddle.

1995 This Old House May 59/2 The pipe used in home plumbing is 99.99 percent pure copper... It comes in lengths (‘hard drawn copper’) or in flexible, annealed coils.

hard-driven adj. (and n.) that is driven strongly or forcibly (in various senses of driven adj.); also as n. (with the and plural agreement) people who are hard-driven as a class (cf. drive v. 25).

ΚΠ

1635 Bp. J. Hall Char. of Man 25 Oh that hard-driven, and miserable paire!

1746 Sir Robert Walpole Vindicated 18 This hard-driven unfortunate great Man, whom I think I have effectually justified.

1902 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Amer. Rev. Dec. 762 The poor and the hard-driven.

1949 R. K. Merton Social Theory i. Introd. 17 A small, hard-driven group of professors.

1999 G. Cox Dict. Sport ii. 86/2 Spike, a hard-driven ball that is hit when trying to score or gain a side out.

hard-fought adj. fought, contested, or played with much effort, or in difficult circumstances; cf. hard-won adj. at Compounds 1c(b).

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > dissent > contention or strife > [adjective] > that is the subject of contention > strongly contested

stiffc1250

hard-fought1633

well-disputed1654

pull devil, pull baker (also parson, tailor, etc.)1778

ding-dong1795

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue v. xi. sig. Eiv A hard foughten feeld, where no man scapeth vnkyld.]

1633 W. Watts Swedish Intelligencer: 3rd & 4th Pts. iii. 153 The reason now, the slaughter was no greater, in such a long and hard fought battell: was for that there was no chase after the Victory.

1788 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall V. xlix. 110 A hard-fought day, as the two armies alternately yielded and advanced.

1855 Knickerbocker Apr. 335 A ball through his frontal bone Laid him flat on his back on the hard-fought ground.

1920 Sat. Evening Post 29 May 20/1 This campaign enabled Mr. Allen..to be nominated without making a speech or even writing a letter, in a hard-fought primary contest.

2010 T. Mason & E. Riedi Sport & Mil. ii. 58 Drawn games were decided by ‘subsidiary goals’ (near misses, in effect) to avoid dangerous scrimmages at the end of hard-fought matches.

hard-hit adj. severely stricken by misfortune, grief, or disaster; (also) deeply in love (now rare).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [adjective] > suffering misfortune > stricken by misfortune

star-crossed1597

star-cross1608

planet-struck1609

planet-stricken1615

sparrow-blasteda1652

hard-hit1826

1826 Kaleidoscope 31 Jan. 247/3 The Squire was hard hit by this nonchalance.

1844 M. G. Blessington Strathern I. iv. 79 Now that they know that I am hard hit with Miss Sydney..they are just as civil to me as they were before.

1909 H. G. Wells Ann Veronica ix She saw her aunt in tears, her father white-faced and hard hit.

1941 F. Ryerson & C. Clements Ever since Eve (new ed.) iii. 42 Girls don't mean anything in your life... But with me..I don't mind admitting I'm hard hit.

2013 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 Mar. a8/6 Among the top measures is a so-called citizenship salary, a type of unemployment insurance for hard-hit Italians.

† hard-holding adj. Obsolete tight-fisted, miserly.

ΚΠ

a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 790 (MED) He es covatous and hard haldand.

† hard-laced adj. Obsolete strict, unyielding; grudging, mean; (also) tightly laced; cf. strait-laced adj.

ΚΠ

1557 T. North tr. A. de Guevara Diall Princes iii. xxiii. f. 193/2 What ill luck haue couetous men (hauing as thei haue their hartes so hard laced).

1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius 194 So sparyng a niggard, and hardelaced.

1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 3 That discreet sonne in Law, who knowes..how to gaine the good will of his hard-laced father in Law, and to draw him gently along, to pay his house-rent.

1875 Athenæum 9 Jan. 55/2 The damsels doze in hard-laced stays.

hard-lived adj. (a) that clings tenaciously to life (cf. to die hard at die v.¹ 3b); also figurative; (b) (of a period of time) spent in hardship or reckless living.

ΚΠ

1696 tr. A. Duquesne New Voy. E.-Indies xlv. 170 I believe there is no creature in the World so hard liv'd, and difficult to kill.

1749 J. Cleland Mem. Woman of Pleasure I. 146 The wretched never die when it is fittest that they should die, and women are hard-liv'd to a proverb.

1788 G. Widegren Svenskt och Engelskt Lexicon 896/1 Seglifvad, hard lived.

1825 J. F. Cooper Pioneers II. v. 61 When a body knows how to shoot, one piece of lead is enough for all, except hard-lived animals.

1862 Dublin Q. Jrnl. Med. Sci. 33 66 In some hard-lived men, bronchitis and flatulence, chiefly the result of assuming the recumbent posture, came on.

1901 H. Drummond Seven Houses i. 1 He had..paced the broad hall up and down with a tread whose firmness told little of his five-and-seventy years of hard-lived life.

2001 T. Peterson Treasures of North i. 16 The scandal would be hard-lived, and..Myrtle knew how tongues would wag if the proprieties were overlooked.

hard-living adj. that lives or can survive in harsh conditions or circumstances; (now usually) that lives recklessly or without moderation.

ΚΠ

1833 W. C. Brownlee Whigs of Scotl. I. 185 They're a hard-living, plodding, opinionative, mischief-brewing race of men.

1896 H. Sutcliffe Eleventh Commandment ii. 20 The old Squire was known to half the county: a hard-swearing, hard-living, hard-riding man.

1946 A. Koestler Thieves in Night i. ii. 9 The thorny, rather tasteless fruit of the cactus, grown on arid earth, tough, hard-living, scant.

2010 Independent 14 Sept. 3/1 The one-time hardliving star accepted the leading role of a mafia hitman in a film financed by Saadi.

hard pushed adj. subject to great pressure or strain; in difficulties (frequently with to); cf. hard-pressed adj. 2.Now frequently in weakened use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adjective] > having difficulty > beset with difficulties

poseletc1390

withstad14..

ystadea1440

mireda1522

hard-set1572

hard-pressed1707

necessitous1711

hard pushed1785

hard-run1834

1785 D. Campbell Observ. Typhus v. 119 The opium..gains a truce for the constitution, to rally her hard-pushed powers, and make a better resistence afterwards.

1805 Monthly Mag. & Brit. Reg. 1 Apr. 310 Some brewers found themselves so hard pushed to pay the new duties, that instead of being able to speculate in malt..they were obliged to shorten their credit.

1953 T. Roscoe U.S. Destroyer Operations in World War II vi. 404/2 Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet forces provided heroic support for the hard-pushed Army troops.

2009 Independent 29 Sept. 25/5 You'd be hard pushed to find someone who hadn't heard of Gap.

hard-run adj. chiefly U.S. (now rare) in difficulties or need, esp. financially.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adjective] > having difficulty > beset with difficulties

poseletc1390

withstad14..

ystadea1440

mireda1522

hard-set1572

hard-pressed1707

necessitous1711

hard pushed1785

hard-run1834

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without > poorly supplied or equipped > specifically of persons

feeblec1330

insufficient1426

unpurveyeda1492

dispurveyeda1513

penurous1594

short1763

hard-run1834

lacking1868

1834 Deb. Congr. 10 Mar. 848 Men..who, to use the mercantile phrase, are ‘hard run’ to make ends meet, and only wanting an honorable excuse to fail.

1914 T. Hardy Satires of Circumstance 36 The monotonous moils of strained, hard-run Humanity.

1954 H. Arnow Dollmaker xxi. 292 I'm glad, Gert, that after being so hard-run so long you have got plenty now.

hard-spun adj. (of yarn, etc.) tightly twisted in spinning; also (and in earliest use) figurative.

ΚΠ

1677 N. Lee in J. Dryden State Innocence sig. A4 You took her thence: to Court this Virgin brought Drest her with gemms, new weav'd her hard spun thought And softest language, sweetest manners taught.

1717 D. Prat Answer Snape's 2nd Let. to Bishop of Bangor 39 His whole Performance being one Contexture of hard spun Fallacies.

1774 Morning Chron. 10 Sept. Please to let him bring a dozen yards of hard-spun rope with him.

1874 Monthly Jrnl. Jan. 5/1 There is nothing so good for men's socks, as fine, hard-spun lamb's-wool.

1906 G. F. Goodchild & C. F. Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. 864/2 at Yarn The yarn is defined as soft spun, medium spun, hard spun, according to the amount of twist it has received.

2009 Paléorient 35 6/2 Whorls with a large diameter are well suited for spinning a hard-spun thread.

hard-trotting adj. (of a horse) that trots in a jolting manner, or at an uncomfortable pace.

ΚΠ

1597 P. Lowe Whole Course Chirurg. v. xxiv. sig. P3^v Riding on hard trotting horses.

1664 S. Pepys Diary 5 Aug. (1971) IV. 234 A hard-trotting Sorrell horse.

1776 T. Cogan John Buncle I. iii. 129 I find this Pegasus such a hard trotting animal, to those who are not much used to ride him.

1822 J. M. Good Study Med. I. 417 Such exercise as gives a general jar to the animal frame, as riding a hard-trotting horse.

1903 Amer. Med. 27 Feb. 369/1 When they traveled they rode hard-trotting hacks or drove in a gig over rough roads.

1990 St. Petersburg Times (Florida) (Nexis) 12 Mar. (Hernando Times section) 1 If you get a hard-trotting horse it's very uncomfortable.

hard-twisted adj. (of rope, yarn, etc.) tightly twisted; cf. hard-spun adj.

ΚΠ

1587 L. Mascall First Bk. Cattell 42 A rope of haire, or some other hard twisted rope.

1609 T. Dekker Ravens Almanacke (STC 6519.2) sig. H Shee drew out..two three stringed whippes of sharp and hard twisted cordes.

1721 L. Braddon Proposal for Relieving Poor of Great Brit. 36 Persons are oblig'd, to keep to the Spinning of one Kind of Thread only, and not suffer'd to shift, from Fine to Coarse, from loose to hard twisted Threads.

1892 E. A. Posselt Struct. Fibres, Yarns & Fabrics (ed. 2) i. 64 Hard-twisted yarn will not bend as easily around the filling during weaving as a soft yarn.

1962 J. T. Marsh Self-smoothing Fabrics xi. 168 Cotton voiles with their hard-twisted yarns may be impregnated on a mangle whose bowls have been wrapped with a fine cloth.

2005 C. Mendelson Laundry ii. xvi. 237 A Jacquard-woven carpet with hard-twisted loops.

hard-wearing adj. able to stand a considerable amount of wear or use; durable.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective] > durable

lastinga1375

durable1398

perdurable?a1425

during1601

hard-wearing1850

heavy-duty1914

service weight1919

1850 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 23 Nov. 1/5 (advt.) Hats, combining the following advantages: a sound hard-wearing body, [etc.].

1897 Ann. Rep. Dept. Agric. Ont. 1896 2 17 The object in placing a coating of gravel on a dirt road is not merely to form a hard wearing surface.

1949 Daily Mirror 2 May 4 He toured the shops..for a pair of hard-wearing flannel trousers.

2008 Independent 6 Mar. (Extra section) 24/5 Lightweight and hard-wearing, these frames are made from titanium.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	hard
释义	hardadj.n. Brit. /hɑːd/, U.S. /hɑrd/ Forms: early Old English hear (transmission error), Old English eard (rare), Old English heeardes (genitive singular masculine, transmission error), Old English heord (rare), Old English hiard (rare), Old English hierd (rare), Old English hreadre (dative feminine, perhaps transmission error), Old English (rare) Middle English– hard, late Old English hæard, late Old English heærd (Kentish), late Old English–Middle English herd, Old English–early Middle English 1500s heard, early Middle English hærd, early Middle English hearde, early Middle English heart, Middle English ard, Middle English har (transmission error), Middle English hart, Middle English hert, Middle English ( Ormulum) 1800s harrd, Middle English–1500s arde, Middle English–1500s herde, Middle English–1600s harde, 1800s– 'ard (regional and nonstandard); English regional 1700s hurd (Cambridgeshire), 1800s– haad (Yorkshire), 1800s– hahd (Yorkshire); U.S. regional (in African-American usage) 1800s– had (midlands), 1800s– hahd (southern), 1900s– ha'ad (southern), 1900s– haa'd (southern); Scottish pre-1700 harde, pre-1700 1700s– hard, pre-1700 1900s– haird, pre-1700 (1900s– Orkney) herd, 1900s– haurd. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Dutch hard (Middle Dutch hard, harde, hart, Dutch hard), Old Saxon hard (Middle Low German hard, harde), Old High German hart (Middle High German hart, German hart), Old Icelandic harðr, Old Swedish harþer (Swedish hård), Old Danish harth (Danish haard, now hård), Gothic hardus; further etymology uncertain and disputed.Further etymology. As shown by Gothic hardus , the Germanic adjective was originally a u-stem (although Old Icelandic harðr shows a instead of the expected u-mutation to ǫ as a result of early analogy). Other Germanic languages show the variation between a- and ja-stem forms which is typical of former u-stems. The latter type is represented by forms with i-mutation of the stem vowel: Old Frisian herd (West Frisian hurd ), Middle Dutch herd , hert , Middle Low German herd , Old High German harti , herti (Middle High German herte , German †hert ). No forms with i-mutation appear to survive in English; such forms as Middle English herd , herde are the result of later phonological developments and chiefly reflect lengthening of the stem vowel before the homorganic consonant group -rd- . The Germanic adjective is perhaps further cognate with ancient Greek κρατύς strong, powerful, although this has been disputed; for a discussion of recent views see A. L. Lloyd et al. Etymol. Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen (2009) IV. at hart. A proposed connection with Lithuanian kartus bitter (of taste) and (with added suffix) Old Church Slavonic kratŭkŭ short, and also with Sanskrit kṛt- to cut and Lithuanian kirsti to hew, presents formal and semantic difficulties. It is uncertain whether any of those words, including the Lithuanian adjective and verb, are related to each other. Specific senses. With reference to railway accommodation in Russia and China (see sense A. 1c(b)) respectively after Russian žëstkij hard, stiff (in žëstkij vagon , lit. ‘hard car’ (1925 or earlier)) and Chinese yìng hard (in e.g. yìngzuò , also yìngxí , both lit. ‘hard seat’, yìngwò , lit. ‘hard berth’), both having reference to unupholstered or poorly upholstered seats and beds. Compare hard adv. 7b. In use with reference to wine (see sense A. 17c) originally after Middle French rude rude adj. (1552 in this sense). In use with reference to the pulse (see sense A. 6) after post-classical Latin pulsus durus (first half of the 13th cent. in a British source). In use with reference to water (see sense A. 19) originally after French †aspre asper adj. (1658 in the passage translated in quot. 1660, or earlier, in this sense; now âpre). Use in names. The base is a common element in Germanic personal names, compare e.g. Old English Heardred, Æðelheard, Cyneheard, Frankish Harduin, Old High German Hartwig, Ekkehard, Gerhart, early Scandinavian (runic: Sweden) Harðstæinn, Gepid (in Latinized form) Ardaricus. A. adj. I. Not soft; resistant to force or pressure; firm, solid, unyielding; robust. 1. a. Firm and unyielding in consistency; not easily broken, bent, or pierced; solid, rigid. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective] hardeOE strongOE stithOE starkc1275 sturdyc1374 brazena1382 mighty?1448 boisterous?1571 oaky1631 stout1765 pang1813 the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adjective] hardeOE braasny1382 dure1412 flinty?1541 obdurate1598 putaminous1598 oakeda1618 marblya1620 obdure1625 marmorean1656 durous1666 calculous1682 scirrhous1694 horn-hard1768 marmoreal1798 the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective] > unyielding hardeOE steevec1300 stubborn1577 unrelenting1594 unyielding1658 renitent1701 unsusceptible1893 eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. iv. 182 Wiþ heardum swile þæs magan. OE Beowulf (2008) 2509 Nu sceall billes ecg, hond ond heard sweord ymb hord wigan. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 129 (MED) Þurh þisse tacne Moyses werp ut þet welle weter of þan herda flinte. c1300 St. Brendan (Laud) l. 520 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 234 So longe huy wenden euene south þat huy i-seiȝen at þen ende One harde roche In þe se. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 733 (MED) Stiel is hardest in his kynde. ?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 79 Þai er so hard þat þare may na metell pulisch þam. ?a1475 Noble Bk. Cookry in Middle Eng. Dict. (at cited word) Cast on a drige mad with hard yolks of eggs. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxxviii. 15 He cloaue the hard rockes. 1594 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. II. 148 The substance thereof is thicke, and harder then any other skinne. 1657 R. Ligon True Hist. Barbados 72 Leaves..extreamly stiffe and hard. 1690 W. Temple Ess. Gardens of Epicurus 47 in Miscellanea: 2nd Pt. Of the Pavies or Hard Peaches, I know none good here but the Newington. 1721 W. Gibson Farriers Dispensatory i. i. 25 To ripen or dissolve hard impacted Humours. 1739 S. Harrison House-keeper's Pocket-bk. (ed. 2) 44 Cut four pounds of stewing Beef, with some of the hard Fat of Brisket Beef cut into Pieces. 1764 T. Reid Inq. Human Mind v. §2. 114 When the parts of a body adhere so firmly, that it cannot easily be made to change its figure, we call it hard. 1825 Q. Jrnl. Sci. & Arts July 190 The detrition and rounding down of the hardest substances in nature. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. ii. 10 If it did not yield in the slightest degree it would be perfectly hard. 1938 W. H. Hamilton Dakota in S. Dakota Hist. Coll. 19 532 We wet the gumbo floor and pounded it until it was as hard as a rock. 1952 M. Price & A. T. Bishop Art School Self-taught ii. iii. 275 For erasing errors, a harder rubber is needed. 2008 Independent 2 Dec. (Life section) 6/1 A hard metal from the platinum family, rhodium is mostly mined in South Africa and Russia. b. Abrasive to the touch; rough, coarse. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > other specific kinds of texture > [adjective] > coarse greateOE hardOE boistous1398 hask?a1425 roidc1485 gross?1504 gruff1533 coarse1582 stoggie1825 broad1908 OE Blickling Homilies 221 Mid hærenum hwægle [read hrægle] swiþe heardum & unwinsumum. c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 71 Nest is heard utewið of prikinde þornes, inwið nesche & softe. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 1475 He werede harde here, Schurte and brech hard ynouȝ: hardere non nere. ?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 4 (MED) And a harde sharpe cloþe be wette in þe juis of this erbe, let rubbe the morfue with that cloþe and hit shall fall a-way. a1500 (?c1425) Speculum Sacerdotale (1936) 129 (MED) His woundes schuld ben i-sperkilid with salt and rubbid with an hard hayre. 1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum v. lxv. f. 69/2 Men and women that dwell in hotte and drie Countryes, haue hard haire and crispe. 1651 D. Border Πολυϕαρμακος και Χυμιστης xliv. 20 Which cloth you may afterward make a Searcloath of, it must not be any hard cloath but soft. 1674 A. Cremer tr. J. Scheffer Hist. Lapland 12 The hair of both Sexes is generally black and hard. 1786 W. Warrington Hist. Wales iii. 110 A few rushes being strowed on the floor, and covered only with a coarse hard cloth. 1894 M. Parloa Miss Parloa's Young Housekeeper ii. 21 This hard fabric scratches and does not wipe dry. 1963 Pop. Mech. Jan. 194/2 If you catch rust stains quickly enough, you can usually erase them with energetic hard-cloth rubbing. 2002 G. L. Bellman Flatbush Fiction 130 Bill, you're using the hard sandpaper, use the soft already, we're practically down to the primer. c. (a) Of a bed, pillow, seat, etc.: not yielding easily or comfortably to the weight of the body; (esp. of a chair) not padded or upholstered.Cf. firm adj. 1, which is generally used with more positive connotations of support and comfort. ΚΠ OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxix. 425 Decius cwæð to þam cwellerum: ahebbað þæt isene bed to þam fyre, þæt se modiga laurentius hine þæron gereste. Hi þærrihte hine wædum bereafodon, & on þam heardan bedde astrehton. c1300 St. Faith (Laud) l. 58 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 85 He liet fette a bed of bras..and in þis harde bedde ire do. ?1492 tr. Raymond of Capua Lyf St. Katherin of Senis (de Worde) ii. vi. sig. hiii/1 Whan she was come home she layd[e hy]r doune vpon hir harde bedde. a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 76 Þes þynges dryes and feblys þe body..; to slepe byfore mete vpon a hard bed; [etc.]. 1581 J. Studley tr. Seneca Hippolytus ii, in T. Newton et al. tr. Seneca 10 Trag. f. 64 The carelesse corpes doth rest at ease vpon the hardest Couch. 1651 P. Armin tr. F. Glisson et al. Treat. Rickets xxxv. 361 Laying a little hard Cushion underneath, wheron the gibbous part may rest. 1659 W. Charleton Nat. Hist. Nutrition x. 167 That there are small Channels in the Nerves, may be perceived by their Compression in our limbs, as when we have long sate upon a hard seat. 1743 H. Bracken Traveller's Pocket-farrier 52 The common Saying is, A hard Chair or Seat is best for the Cure of the Piles. 1882 Warren (Pa.) Ledger 8 Sept. Twenty single beds, with spring mattresses and good hard pillows. 1917 I. MacDonald Home Nursing (rev. ed.) 153 To prepare the bed for a fracture case, use the hardest mattress you can find. 1984 K. Williams Diary 12 Mar. (1993) 693 Two rows of hard chairs to accommodate about forty elderly..residents who looked vaguely discomforted. 2010 M. Rowen Something Wicked ix. 104 The black sofa was hard, with no give, and smelled new. (b) Chiefly in Russian and Chinese contexts: designating the lowest class of accommodation available on a train.Chiefly in hard class and hard seat, frequently attributive or used adverbially.Used with reference to the unupholstered or poorly upholstered seats in such accommodation: see note in etymology. Cf. hard adv. 7b, soft adj. 8c, third class n. and adj. ΚΠ 1898 Sporting Times 16 Apr. 2/3 Any brawny son of toil excursioning, can pay for a hard-seat ticket and luxuriate in a first-class lounge. 1928 Cook's Continental Timetable 15 May 102 Sleeping car of direct communication, soft and hard class. 1936 E. Mannin South to Samarkand xvi. 179 The smell of a Russian ‘hard’ compartment is a smell of feet and garlic. 1967 D. Jenner Lett. from Peking lvii. 68 We managed to travel hard class—a great achievement for foreigners. 1983 Pacific Stars & Stripes 20 Jan. 9/1 Those who have never traveled ‘hard seat’.., have missed one of the most challenging experiences the People's Republic has to offer. 1997 S. China Morning Post (Nexis) 19 May 3 Tickets for soft-sleeper beds and hard-sleeper beds are 934 yuan and 706 yuan respectively. 2004 D. Evans MVP 138 Mostly backpackers and Russian businessmen rode in hard-class. d. Tightly wound, woven, or knotted. Also: densely packed, rolled, or bound. ΚΠ OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 182 Þa het se wælhreowa þone halgan wer gebindan, and ænne mæssepreost þe he him mid funde, Rusticus geciged, and sumne ercediacon Eleutherius gehaten, mid heardum cnottum samod. c1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent. (1939) 12 (MED) Thou scourge, with cordis thou brak the skyne With hard knottis. 1597 P. Lowe Whole Course Chirurg. vi. i. sig. S2 Long needles and strong thread, double with a hard knot in the end. 1655 Duchess of Newcastle Philos. & Physical Opinions cxcvi. 153 More strength goeth to untie a hard knot, then a loose knot, or to untwist a hard string, then a loose string. 1763 Observ. Several Matters offered to Linen Board 43 The means by which the Drapers..get the pieces to look small, is the rolling them up in hard Bundles. 1835 A. Ure Philos. Manuf. ii. iii. 126 The longer wools of the Leicestershire breed are manufactured into hard yarns, for worsted pieces.., carpets.., &c. 1850 C. M. Yonge Langley School vii. 51 Her hair..tied into four hard plaits, and looking like handles to lift her up by. 1901 P. Emerson New Eng. States 55 A strong, closely twisted, smooth, hard yarn is spun. 1922 Outing Mar. 287/1 The stores here sell snake proof canvas leggings of a tight, hard weave. 1981 T. Frid Woodworking: Shaping, Veneering, Finishing viii. 196/2 Make each pad from a clean wool rag packed into a hard ball. 2014 L. Matson Nil iv. 20 Talla stepped out from the Shack, her blond hair tied in a hard knot. e. Of an egg: cooked so that both the white and yolk are solid. Cf. hard-boiled adj. 1a. Now chiefly Australian. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > cooking > [adjective] > cooked (of specific food) > eggs rearlOE harda1425 poachedc1450 soft-boiled1577 hard-boiled1589 rare1655 rath egg1684 in the shell1692 dropped1824 rumpled1896 a1425 (a1399) Forme of Cury (BL Add.) 177 in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 137 Take harde eyren isode and yground. c1470 (?1458) W. Wey Itineraries (1857) 7 (MED) Whan ye schal ryde to flvm Jordan take wyth yow..bred, wyne, water, hard chese, and hard eggys. ?1537 T. Elyot Castell of Helthe i. f. 14/1 Meates makyng thycke iuyce..Cheese, Egges fryed or hard, Chesten nuttes. 1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 188 Prescribing him a diet; which is to drink water, and to eat hard Egs. 1650 tr. Joannes de Mediolano Regimen Sanitatis Salerni (new ed.) 29 Potched Egs, are better then Egges roasted, hard or rere. 1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) at Grass-Week The commons..consist chiefly of sallets, with hard eggs, green sauce, etc. 1753 T. Smollett Ferdinand Count Fathom II. xl. 37 The major, who complained that his appetite had forsaken him, amused himself with some forty hard eggs. 1837 R. Huish Female's Friend 330/1 Boil four eggs until they are hard, and put them into cold water. 1879 Math. Questions with their Solutions 31 38 This question took its rise from Col. Clarke's ingenious problem..to find, by a mathematical process, whether a boiled egg is hard or soft. 1914 M. Walli Suomalais-Amerikalainen Keittokirja 194/2 Boil one egg until hard. 1962 L. Deighton Ipcress File xxi. 143 I was loaded with anchovy,..hard egg and salmon. 2008 Gold Coast Bull. (Austral.) (Nexis) 23 Aug. 48 The salad is garnished with tuna fish, hard eggs, olives and capers. f. Of food given to animals: (originally) consisting of dry vegetable matter such as grain or hay, as opposed to grass; (now usually) spec. designating highly nutritious (often commercially prepared) feed mixtures and concentrates (concentrate n. 2).Recorded earliest in hard meat n. Now chiefly in hard feed and hard food. ΚΠ 1481 E. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 641 I had my horsse wyth hym at lyvery... I payed fore hard mete euer to hym. 1687 G. L. Gentleman's New Jockey ii. 7 Give him..Mashes.., with somewhat that is green and juycey..: Nor indeed ought he to be used to hard Provinder altogether till three years after his weaning. 1788 W. Taplin Gentleman's Stable Directory 18 At the expiration of three or four days..the hard food may naturally be supposed to have dislodged the grass. 1838 J. Stewart Stable Econ. iv. 275 Hard, substantial food, such as raw oats and beans with hay. 1881 North Amer. (Philadelphia) 6 Sept. The grass has long since withered and died, and cattle have been feeding on hard fodder for weeks. 1916 Calif. Poultry Jrnl. July 299/1 Hard feed such as peas and beans..and a handful of Argentine corn and rice. 1993 Horse & Rider Dec. 39/2 (advt.) Supa Barley Rings..can be fed as the sole hard feed to compliment the roughage portion of the diet. 2005 S. McBane 100 Ways to improve Your Horse's Behaviour xl. 62/1 Hard feed means concentrates: this is traditionally oats, but nowadays also high-energy cubes and coarse mixes, or any cereal-based feed. †g. Undigested (in the stomach). Also figurative. Chiefly in to lie hard. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > [adjective] > digested > undigested undefied1398 undigest1398 crude1533 raw1533 undecoct1542 undigested1598 hard1601 inconcocted1605 unconcoct1605 unconcocted1611 indigested1620 untempered1822 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxx. xv. 398 Certaine rough and hairie worms, which if they be hung about the necks of young infants, do presently cure them, if haply there be any thing in their meat that stucke and lay hard in their stomack. 1687 R. L'Estrange Answer to Let. to Dissenter 31 Neither is it..Only the bespoken Thanks, at last, that lyes so Hard in our Author's Stomach. 1712 W. Darrell Gentleman Instructed: 3rd Pt. i. 19 At the beginning Debauchery lies hard upon his Stomach, he pukes and is crop-sick. 1752 Happiness Revealed 24 He that has a foul Stomach, or took a Surfeit from such Meat as lies hard upon his Stomach, and can not digest it. 1857 Ballou's Dollar Monthly Mag. Feb. 192/2 Though ‘salt horse’ may suit the iron digestion of a Whaler, it would be apt to sit hard on the stomach of a student of theology. 1871 H. W. Beecher Orig. Plymouth Pulpit 4th Series 368 Sin is sweet in the mouth, and bitter in digestion. It lies hard on the stomach. h. Of silk: retaining its natural gum (sericin) and hence slightly stiff in texture; not degummed. Chiefly in hard silk. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > silk > [adjective] > retaining natural gum hard1638 souple silk1828 1638 Proclam. Charles I Use of Hard Silk 18 May (single sheet) There is a sort of Silk, called hard-Silk dyed upon the Gumme, which is no other than raw silk dyed or coloured. 1747 R. Campbell London Tradesman lix. 261 Spinning the hard Silk and winding it employs a great Number of Female Hands. 1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products 344/2 Preparing hard silk..for yarn for the silk-stocking maker. 1924 Silk Throwing: Pt. 3 (Internat. Corr. Schools) 2 Skeins of raw, or hard, silk are generally larger than skeins of soft silk and, hence, a hard-silk winder must be equipped with larger swifts on which to support the skeins. 2005 B. M. King Silk & Empire i. 14 ‘Hard’ silk (a yarn that still retained the silk-gum on the thread), was used by some manufacturers for cheaper goods such as plain umbrellas and dress silks. i. Of the penis, clitoris, or nipples: erect. In later use also of a man: having an erect penis. Cf. sense B. 9 and hard-on adj. and n. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual activity > [adjective] > of penis, clitoris, or nipples: erect harda1660 erect1897 a1660 in G. R. Quaife Wanton Wenches & Wayward Wives (1979) vii. 166 (modernized text) [He] did take forth his privy parts in his hand and..told her that it was a good hard thing. 1772 Proc. Old Bailey 15 July 316/2 At the time he put his —— into your b——e, it was stiff and hard, was it? c1864 Rakish Rhymer (1917) 120 My hard p——k is glowing and full to overflowing. 1951 R. M. Berndt & C. H. Berndt Sexual Behaviour Western Arnem Land 64 He had fingered her labia majora until her clitoris was hard. 1967 S. Stevens Go down Dead 85 Close up she look even better she make me hard just looking at her. 1994 W. Farrell Myth Male Power (rev. ed.) xiv. 233 Women laugh at how a man with a hard penis has a soft brain. 2014 A. Schrag Adam i. 6 Her nipples looked hard, and despite his paranoia, Adam could feel himself getting that way too. j. Of porcelain: made from a paste consisting of kaolin and a feldspar, and typically fired at a very high temperature, resulting in a hard finish that takes a high glaze. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > clay compositions > baked clay > pottery or ceramics > [adjective] > porcelain > types of porcelain hard1776 Nantgarw1820 reticulated1881 grand feu1888 high-fusing1893 paste bodied1915 1776 Selector No. 1. sig. F4 There results from it a hard porcelain, which bears the fire, and is of a whiteness and brilliancy incomparably superior to any other sort of china-ware. 1832 G. R. Porter Treat. Manuf. Porcelain & Glass iii. 43 This paste is not so cohesive or viscous as that which forms hard porcelain. 1885 Encycl. Brit. XIX. 642/1 Bristol porcelain is of interest as being the first hard natural porcelain made in England. 1968 J. Arnold Shell Bk. Country Crafts 234 Hard porcelain, already glazed, is fired at 1300°–1400°C., causing complete fusion. 2005 L. Durbin Architect. Tiles vii. 188 A tiny stream of water under extremely high pressure can precisely cut and etch hard porcelain as if it were cookie dough. k. Of an oil or fat: having a relatively high melting point, owing to a high proportion of saturated fatty acids; (of a fatty acid) saturated; spec. designating palm oil containing a high proportion of uncombined fatty acids (now chiefly historical). Contrasted with soft adj. 12e.Earlier instances are regarded as contextual use of the general sense (e.g. quot. 1739 at sense A. 1a). ΚΠ 1842 Penny Cycl. XXII. 169/1 It has been found by Chevreul that different varieties of fatty matter consist chiefly of two kinds: one hard, to which he gave the name stearin; and the other soft, which he termed olein. 1855 T. J. Hutchinson Narr. Niger, Tshadda, & Binuë Explor. vii. 177 He pointed to a canoe in which were two or three hundred calabashes of hard palm-oil.] 1864 J. C. Brough & A. J. Cooley Cycl. Pract. Receipts (ed. 4) 1239/1 The hard fatty acids of vegetable origin,..now so extensively used as candle materials, are obtained from the natural oils and butters by the process known as ‘sulphuric acid saponification’. 1887 C. A. Moloney Sketch Forestry W. Afr. 43 In the trade it [sc. palm-oil] is called ‘hard’ when it contains a larger proportion of ‘stearine’, ‘soft’ when it contains a smaller proportion. 1929 H. A. A. Nicholls & J. H. Holland Text-bk. Trop. Agric. (ed. 2) ii. xix. 566 Palm oil... There is a fermentation process which produces a ‘hard’ oil. 1968 Veg. Oils & Oilseeds (Commonw. Secretariat) 153 Palm oil and palm kernel oil are very different in their constitution and properties... Palm kernel oil is a ‘hard’ oil, closely akin to coconut oil. 1997 M. Lynn Commerce & Econ. Change W. Afr. (2002) ii. 46 Hard oil was high in FFA [= free fatty acid] and was used in candle manufacture and for certain kinds of soap. 2002 Gastronomica Winter 52/1 There is soft, unrefined [palm] oil, which is liquid at room temperature; semi-soft oil; and hard oil, which is solid at room temperature. l. Of a tennis court: made of asphalt or concrete, now typically covered with a layer of acrylic or other synthetic material, as distinguished from a grass or clay court. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > racket games > lawn tennis > [adjective] > court white-lined1809 hard1885 1885 Outing Dec. 110/2 Much was expected of the Sears Brothers, but the hard courts, to which they were unaccustomed, prevented them from showing their true form. 1909 Westm. Gaz. 30 Mar. 12/3 It is possible to place too much significance on hard-court results, grass conditions in England being so materially different. 1959 Daily Tel. 1 June 1/4 The French hard-court championships. 1973 G. Mitchell Murder of Busy Lizzie i. 10 A sunken garden, a hard tennis court, miniature golf. 2009 New Yorker 31 Aug. 45/2 They..leaped about on the bright-purple hard court, flicking reflex volleys and high, arcing lobs. m. In landscape design: designating constructed physical features such as paths, walls, structures, etc., as distinct from vegetation or water; of or composed of such features.Chiefly in hard landscape and hard landscaping; cf. hardscape n., hardscaping n. ΚΠ 1953 Jrnl. Inst. Landscape Architects No. 27 12/2 From a landscape designer's point of view they offer a welcome opportunity for a completely integrated landscape: ‘hard’ landscape in the garage courts.., and ‘green’ landscape in the internal open spaces. 1957 Brit. Housing & Planning Rev. Nov. 32/2 An urban atmosphere can also be created..by..treating the spaces with ‘hard landscaping’—flagging, cobbles, coloured concrete..and so on. 1988 Times 25 May 4/6 Bloom's..Plant Lover's Garden..ensures that Chelsea is not dominated by hard-landscape gardens. 2007 Irish Times 2 June (Mag.) 20/2 Even the hard design had a sustainable edge, in its recycled-glass path and much-discussed swimming pond. 2. a. (a) Physically strong or robust; capable of great physical endurance and exertion; resilient, hardy; (esp. in early use) bold and vigorous in fighting. Cf. hard as nails at nail n. Phrases 5.Now frequently overlapping with sense A. 2a(b). ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > robust strongeOE hardOE stalworthc1175 starka1250 stiff1297 steel to the (very) backa1300 stalworthyc1300 wightc1300 stable13.. valiant1303 stithc1325 toughc1330 wrast1338 stoura1350 sadc1384 wighty14.. derfc1440 substantialc1460 well-jointed1483 felon1487 robust1490 stalwart1508 stoutya1529 robustous?1531 rankc1540 hardy1548 robustious1548 stout1576 rustical1583 rustic1620 iron1638 robustic1652 swankinga1704 strapping1707 rugged1731 solid1741 vaudy1793 flaithulach1829 ironbark1833 swankie1838 tough as (old) boots or leather1843 skookum1847 hard (also tough, sharp) as nails1862 hard-assed1954 nails1974 OE Beowulf (2008) 342 Word æfter spræc heard under helme. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9460 Brutael. þat is a cniht swiðe herd [c1300 Otho hard]. c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 808 (MED) Fir[umbras] was hard, & suffrede wel. ?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 167 Þei ben full harde folk & moche peyne & wo mow suffren. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 1066 There bene full many harde knyghtes of youre bloode. 1511 H. Watson tr. Noble Hist. King Ponthus (new ed.) sig. C.iii Men sayd that he was ye hardest & the strongest of the sarasyns. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 13^v A hard fellowe, brought vp from his childehood to labour. 1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 151 Yet is the blacke hound harder and better able to endure cold, then the other which is white. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics i, in tr. Virgil Wks. 52 Men, a hard laborious Kind. View more context for this quotation 1727 N. Robinson New Method treating Consumptions i. ii. 43 The Hard-Horse shall much sooner regain his Plumpness than the other, which shall droop for a considerable Time after. 1788 R. Potter tr. Sophocles Tragedies 326 I had reach'd the forest of the Selli, (an hard race That o'er the mountains roam at large, and rest Couch'd on the ground). 1852 Eclectic Rev. Mar. 370 There his hard constitution was invaded by a languor which laid him low. 1885 Times 11 Feb. 8/1 The men..look as hard as nails and fit for anything. 1911 R. F. Scott Jrnl. 24 Feb. (2006) 136 There is no doubt that very long days' work could be done by men in hard condition on ski. 1948 in B. Vesey-Fitzgerald Bk. Dog 997 A terrier is said to be hard when he is a very determined fighter. 2014 Evening Standard (Nexis) 12 Sept. 80 BBC1 has live coverage of the Invictus Games [for injured military personnel]. Proper hard, those lads are. (b) Tough and aggressive; prone to violence or disorderly behaviour; belligerent, intimidating. Cf. hard man n. at Compounds 4. Now chiefly British colloquial, often (esp. among young men) as a term of approval or respect. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > hatred > hostility > [adjective] > disposed to hostile attacks aggressive1773 hard1923 1923 J. Dos Passos Streets of Night v. 158 Toughs and hard girls circling like dogs before a fight. 1950 A. Lomax Mister Jelly Roll 131 I had become quite a hard boy by then, in fact so hard that it nearly cost me my life. 1985 R. Geary Policing Industr. Disputes vii. 144 According to the pickets..all the trouble was caused by the ‘hard bastards’ drafted in to break the strike. 1996 Guardian (Nexis) 23 Apr. She's wearing combat fatigues, DMs and a piercing stare that says: ‘Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough.’ 2008 L. Garner Life Lessons 46 Go on, jump! It'll make you feel dead hard and cool! 2013 Coventry Tel. (Nexis) 7 Feb. 3 (headline) The tough guy who Mike Tyson called ‘the hardest white guy on the planet.’ b. Firm, steadfast; unyielding. Chiefly of a person, with respect to belief, resolve, etc. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adjective] fasteOE stathelfasteOE anredOE hardOE starkOE trueOE steadfast993 fastredeOE stithc1000 findyOE stablea1275 stathelyc1275 stiffc1275 stablec1290 steel to the (very) backa1300 unbowinga1300 stably13.. firm1377 unmovablea1382 constantc1386 abidingc1400 toughc1400 sure1421 unmoblea1425 unfaintedc1425 unfaint1436 permanent?a1475 stalwartc1480 unbroken1513 immovable1534 inconcuss1542 unshaken1548 stout1569 unwavering1570 undiscourageable1571 fixed1574 discourageable1576 unappalled1578 resolute1579 unremoved1583 resolved1585 unflexiblea1586 unshakeda1586 square1589 unstooping1597 iron1598 rocky1601 steady1602 undeclinable1610 unboweda1616 unfainting1615 unswayed1615 staunch1624 undiscourageda1628 staid1631 unshook1633 blue?1636 true blue?1636 tenacious1640 uncomplying1643 yieldless1651 riveting1658 unshakened1659 inconquerable1660 unyielding1677 unbendinga1688 tight1690 unswerving1694 unfaltering1727 unsubmitting1730 undeviating1732 undrooping1736 impervertible1741 undamped1742 undyingc1765 sturdy1775 stiff as a poker1798 unfickle1802 indivertible1821 thick and thin1822 undisheartened1827 inconvertible1829 straightforward1829 indomitable1830 stickfast1831 unsuccumbing1833 unturnable1847 unswerved1849 undivertible1856 unforsaking1862 swerveless1863 steeve1870 rock-ribbed1884 stiff in the back1897 OE Guthlac A 545 Ac se hearda hyge halig wunade, oþþæt he þa bysgu oferbiden hæfde. OE Menologium 42 Swylce Benedictus embe nigon niht þæs nergend sohte, heard and higestrang. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1596 & ȝiff þin heorrte iss harrd. & starrc. & stedefasst o criste. a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 662 A man es a tre, þat standes noght harde, Of whilk þe crop es turned donward. c1450 Speculum Christiani (Harl. 6580) (1933) 172 (MED) The dede of charge of curates es..in ferful dampnacion of vices and in herde [L. dura] correpcion of viciouse men. 1534 R. Barnes Supplicacion H. VIII (rev. ed.) sig. E4 I truste to Gods grace, and the kynges, that my lordes the bysshops, wyll not be so harde, in this poynte of theyr othe, as they haue ben. a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Suff. 63 His name in Saxon soundeth a pearl, to which he answered in the preciousness of his disposition, clear and hard. 1759 F. Sydenham tr. Greater Hippias 63 How unyielding he is, and how hard in admitting any Assertion. 1836 Wilson's Hist. Tales Borders II. lvi. 26/2 He that is hard in his belief, can only be referred to those schools of nature, where many things, not dreamt of in his philosophy, will find their way to his understanding and his heart. 1911 H. M. Hobson Jinks' Inside vii. 134 I always saw he was set hard in his mind against going there. c. Stubborn, obstinate; resistant to persuasion or authority; recalcitrant. Cf. hardhead n.² 2a, hard-headed adj. 1, hard-necked adj., hard nolled adj. at Compounds 4. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] starkOE moodyOE stithc1000 stidyc1175 stallc1275 harda1382 stubbornc1386 obstinate?1387 throa1400 hard nolleda1425 obstinant?a1425 pertinacec1425 stablec1440 dour1488 unresigned1497 difficultc1503 hard-necked1530 pertinatec1534 obstacle1535 stout-stomached1549 hard-faced1567 stunt1581 hard-headed1583 pertinacious1583 stuntly1583 peremptory1589 stomachous1590 mulish1600 stomachful1600 obstined1606 restive1633 obstinacious1649 opinionated1649 tenacious1656 iron-sided1659 sturdy1664 cat-witted1672 obstinated1672 unyielding1677 ruggish1688 bullet-headed1699 tough1780 pelsy1785 stupid1788 hard-set1818 thick and thin1822 stuntya1825 rigwiddie1826 indomitable1830 recalcitrant1830 set1848 mule-headed1870 muley1871 capitose1881 hard-nosed1917 tight1928 a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Deut. ix. 6 Not for þy riȝtwisnessys þe lord þy god shal ȝyue to þe þis beste londe..siþþe þou ert apeple of most hard nolle [L. durissimae cervicis]. c1400 Prose Versions New Test.: Prol. (Selwyn) (1904) 12 (MED) Y se wel þat þis pepel is of an hard hed. 1574 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Job (new ed.) cxxiiii. 641/2 God..sendeth vs hartbitings to nip vs to the quicke. If they doe vs no good,..that that is bicause wee bee too hard and stubborne. 1654 Bp. J. Taylor Real Presence Ep. De. sig. A4^v If these things were not enough to perswade the People to all this matter, they must needs have weak hearts, and hard heads. 1722 L. Echard Gen. Eccl. Hist. (ed. 6) I. ii. vii. 353 Admonishing him to rebuke those sharply who were naturally hard and obstinate,..and not to suffer them to be led away with the Delusions of Judaizing Teachers. 1840 Foreign Q. Rev. Oct. 249 Harsh jagged slugs, with which a hard and obstinate bigotry vexes the ribs of men. 1889 N. Longworth Silas Jackson's Wrongs iv. 47 Jabez was as hard of head as he was strong of limb; and, when he once took a notion, nothing could get him away from it. 1905 Parl. Deb. (New S. Wales) No. 2. 92/2 Far from showing any desire to..submit loyally to the act on the statute book, there seemed to be a very hard resistance. 1978 D. McNickle Wind from Enemy Sky xxxi. 243 He has a hard head. If he sees the women all coming after him, he won't budge. 2005 W. Lee Exercise of Spirit i. 11 If our will is independent from the spirit, it may be stubborn and hard, but it is not strong in a proper way. d. Firmly established in an undesirable condition or quality; obstinately persistent in an undesirable course of action. Cf. hardened adj. 3. rare after 18th cent. ΚΠ 1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 12^v It is no maruel that they which ar borne in darkenesse do more and more waxe hard in their amased dulnesse, because verye fewe of them do geue themselues pliable to learne of the word of God. 1574 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Job (new ed.) lviii. 298/1 Our Lord seeth men stand so in their owne conceit, and wexe hard in their pryde. a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 270 Thy Nature, did commence in sufferance, Time Hath made thee hard in't. View more context for this quotation 1712 R. Blackmore Creation vii. 350 Still, vanquish'd Atheists, will you keep the Field, And hard in Error still refuse to yeild? 1774 Lady's Mag. July 358/1 Pity as well as Justice forbid us..to abandon the criminals to grow hard in their wickedness. 1860 Illustr. Mag. 9 252/1 My heart died, when I found you so hard in sin, and so shameless in treachery. 1924 J. M. Peterkin Green Thursday 84 Rose shook her head sadly and declared that older people became hard in sin. 3. a. Not easily moved or affected emotionally; resistant to pity or entreaty; unfeeling, callous. Also in hard of heart. Cf. hard-hearted adj.See also to die hard at die v.¹ 3b. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > callous or hard-hearted hard hearteOE steelena1000 hardOE hard-heartedc1225 stony?c1230 yhert1340 dure1412 hardedc1425 induratec1425 stonishc1450 hardenedc1480 steely1508 flinty1536 endured1540 stiff-stomached1540 heartless1556 indured1558 flint-hearted1560 iron1561 marble1565 stone-hearted?1569 stony-hearted1569 iron-hearted1570 steel-hearted1571 rocky?1578 brawned1582 flinted1582 padded1583 obdure?1590 brawny1596 flintful1596 flint-heart1596 steeled1600 cauterized1603 indurated1604 flinty-hearted1629 ahenean1630 dedolent1633 brawny-hearteda1639 hard-grained1643 callous1647 upsitten1682 seared1684 petrified1720 calloused1746 coreless1813 pebble-hearted1816 hard-shelled1848 hard-plucked1857 steel trap1921 the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > obdurate hardOE induratec1425 hardenedc1480 obdureda1500 indured1558 obdurate1590 obfirmed1597 indurated1604 obduratious1672 case-hardened1836 OE Blickling Homilies 57 Manige men beoð heardre heortan. a1225 ( Rule St. Benet (Winteney) (1888) ii. 19 Þa þe wiðe beod & hearde & prute & unȝehursume [L. duros ac superbos uel inobedientes]. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3061 Ðis weder is softe, and ðis king hard, And brekeð him eft ðat forward. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 759 Why wil thyn harde fader han thee spilt. Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 227 Harde demare, or domys mann wythe-owte mercy. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 282 There was not so heard a hart, if they had seene them but would have had pittie upon them. 1609 T. Dekker Ravens Almanacke sig. F1 He knew the hard conscience of the Usurer, straind himselfe and his friends, and prouided the money. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iv, in tr. Virgil Wks. 136 So wretched is thy Son, so hard a Mother thou. View more context for this quotation 1757 D. Garrick Isabella iv. 34 I often writ to my hard Father, but never had An Answer. 1806 R. Snowden Hist. North & South Amer. I. iii. 176 The entreaties..touched numbers of an unfeeling heart, and drew tears from many a hard eye. 1864 Ld. Tennyson Grandmother v, in Enoch Arden, etc. 116 You think I am hard and cold. 1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl iv People thought her rather hard. To one of her gossips Miss Pinnegar confessed: ‘I thought she'd have felt it more.’ 1956 J. Krishnamurti Comm. on Living 59 He was charitable and not too hard of heart. 2012 National Post (Canada) (Nexis) 13 Oct. wp. 15 A nearly helpless little girl..become as hard and uncaring as her family is, a trait that seems only capable of repeating the cycle. b. Unwilling to make concessions or to be swayed by sentiment, esp. in business dealings; practical, shrewd. Cf. hardhead n.² 2a, hard-headed adj. 3.With hard bargainer, hard dealer, cf. sense A. 22a. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > understanding > wisdom, sagacity > worldly wisdom > [adjective] world-wiseOE worldly-wisec1400 smart1571 shrewd1589 hard1655 sharp1697 auld-farrant1702 up to snuff1810 canny1816 savvy1826 worldly1829 lairy1846 facultized1872 sophisticated1895 hep1899 hip1904 streetwise1949 ready1967 kewl1990 1655 A. Brewer Love-sick King iii. sig. D2^v Look too't, they are hard dealers that deal in Iron. 1673 J. Ray N. Countrey Words in Coll. Eng. Words 15 A hard bargainer, spoken of a person. 1736 Post-Office Intelligence iv. 9 Take heed of the Girls at Oxford, the Men there have hard Heads, and the Women hot Tails. 1831 R. Cox Columbia River II. iv. 90 (note) They are shrewd, hard dealers, and not a whit inferior to any native of Yorkshire, Scotland, or Connaught, in driving a bargain. 1853 E. Bulwer-Lytton My Novel I. ii. iv. 108 My books don't tell me that it is a good heart that gets on in the world: it is a hard head. 1922 Herald Gospel Liberty 25 May 483/2 One simply has to use his good, hard business sense to see that such churches must be builded. 2012 Sunday Tel. (Nexis) 19 Feb. (Features section) 3 A romantic vision combined with a hard head for business have made Jonathan Saunders one of London's top fashion designers. 4. Slow-witted, unperceptive; dull, obtuse, stupid. Frequently in hard wit. Cf. hardhead n.² 2a, hard-witted adj. (a) at Compounds 4. Now rare. [In quot. 1871 after German hart (16th cent. in this sense).] ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupidity, dullness of intellect > [adjective] sloweOE stuntc960 dullOE hardOE stuntlyc1000 sotc1050 dillc1175 dulta1225 simplea1325 heavy1340 astonedc1374 sheepishc1380 dull-witteda1387 lourd1390 steerishc1411 ass-likea1425 brainless?a1439 deafc1440 sluggishc1450 short-witted1477 obtuse1509 peakish1519 wearish1519 deaf, or dumb as a beetle1520 doileda1522 gross1526 headlessa1530 stulty1532 ass-headed1533 pot-headed1533 stupid?1541 sheep's head1542 doltish1543 dumpish1545 assish1548 blockish1548 slow-witted1548 blockheaded1549 surd1551 dull-headed1552 hammer-headed1552 skit-brained?1553 buzzardly1561 witless1562 log-headeda1566 assy1566 sottish1566 dastardly1567 stupidious1567 beetle-headed1570 calvish1570 bluntish1578 cod's-headed1578 grout-headed1578 bedaft1579 dull-pated1580 blate1581 buzzard-like1581 long-eared1582 dullard1583 woodena1586 duncical1588 leaden-headed1589 buzzard1592 dorbellical1592 dunstical1592 heavy-headeda1593 shallow-brained1592 blunt-witted1594 mossy1597 Bœotian1598 clay-brained1598 fat1598 fat-witted1598 knotty-pated1598 stupidous1598 wit-lost1599 barren1600 duncifiedc1600 lourdish1600 stockish1600 thick1600 booby1603 leaden-pated1603 partless1603 thin-headed1603 leaden-skulledc1604 blockhead1606 frost-brained1606 ram-headed1608 beef-witted1609 insulse1609 leaden-spirited1609 asininec1610 clumse1611 blockheadly1612 wattle-headed1613 flata1616 logger-headeda1616 puppy-headeda1616 shallow-patedc1616 thick-brained1619 half-headed1621 buzzard-blinda1625 beef-brained1628 toom-headed1629 thick-witted1634 woollen-witted1635 squirrel-headed1637 clod-pated1639 lean-souled1639 muddy-headed1642 leaden-witteda1645 as sad as any mallet1645 under-headed1646 fat-headed1647 half-witted1647 insipid1651 insulsate1652 soft-headed1653 thick-skulleda1657 muddish1658 non-intelligent1659 whey-brained1660 sap-headed1665 timber-headed1666 leather-headeda1668 out of (one's) tree1669 boobily1673 thoughtless1673 lourdly1674 logger1675 unintelligenta1676 Bœotic1678 chicken-brained1678 under-witted1683 loggerhead1684 dunderheaded1692 unintelligible1694 buffle-headed1697 crassicc1700 numbskulled1707 crassous1708 doddy-polled1708 haggis-headed1715 niddy-noddy1722 muzzy1723 pudding-headed1726 sumphish1728 pitcher-souleda1739 duncey1743 hebete1743 chuckheaded1756 dumb1756 duncely1757 imbecile1766 mutton-headed1768 chuckle-headed1770 jobbernowl1770 dowfarta1774 boobyish1778 wittol1780 staumrel1787 opaquec1789 stoopid1791 mud-headed1793 borné1795 muzzy-headed1798 nog-headed1800 thick-headed1801 gypit1804 duncish1805 lightweight1809 numbskull1814 tup-headed1816 chuckle-pate1820 unintellectuala1821 dense1822 ninnyish1822 dunch1825 fozy1825 potato-headed1826 beef-headed1828 donkeyish1831 blockheadish1833 pinheaded1837 squirrel-minded1837 pumpkin-headed1838 tomfoolish1838 dundering1840 chicken-headed1842 like a bump on a log1842 ninny-minded1849 numbheadeda1852 nincompoopish1852 suet-brained1852 dolly1853 mullet-headed1853 sodden1853 fiddle-headed1854 numb1854 bovine1855 logy1859 crass1861 unsmart1861 off his chump1864 wooden-headed1865 stupe1866 lean-minded1867 duffing1869 cretinous1871 doddering1871 thick-head1873 doddling1874 stupido1879 boneheaded1883 woolly-headed1883 leaden-natured1889 suet-headed1890 sam-sodden1891 dopey1896 turnip-headed1898 bonehead1903 wool-witted1905 peanut-headed1906 peanut-brained1907 dilly1909 torpid-minded1909 retardate1912 nitwitted1917 meat-headed1918 mug1922 cloth-headed1925 loopy1925 nitwit1928 lame-brained1929 dead from the neck up1930 simpy1932 nail-headed1936 square-headed1936 dingbats1937 pinhead1939 dim-witted1940 pea-brained1942 clueless1943 lobotomized1943 retarded1949 pointy-headed1950 clottish1952 like a stunned mullet1953 silly (or crazy) as a two-bob watch1954 out to lunch1955 pin-brained1958 dozy1959 eejity1964 out of one's tiny mind1965 doofus1967 twitty1967 twittish1969 twatty1975 twattish1976 blur1977 dof1979 goofus1981 dickheaded1991 dickish1991 numpty1992 cockish1996 OE [implied in: Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xvi. 162 He ðreade heora andgites heardnysse, and him geopenode ða halgan gewritu þe be him wæron gesette. (at hardness n. 4)]. lOE King Ælfred tr. St. Augustine Soliloquies (Vitell.) (1922) i. 43 Ða cwæð ic: Wa la wa! Hwæt þu me for hæardne lætst! Hu ne were þu ær geðafa þæt ic nanwiht ne lufode ofer wisdom, and ic wæs æac þes geðafa. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iv. ii. 136 In þe body þat coolde haþ þe maistrie þe colour is white, here is neissche and streiȝt, hard white [read wite; L. intellectus durus] and forȝeteful. c1450 J. Metham Physiognomy in Wks. (1916) 126 (MED) Thei that haue slowe meuyng eyn in maner slepy, tho personys be off harde wyttys, slow in the begynnyng, and in the laste endyng hard. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 228 (MED) A lytill smale forhede tokenyth lytill witte..The forhede al rounde, harde witte; a longe forhede ouer mesure, a slow witte. a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 115 (MED) He þat haues eghen lyk to þe eghen of a asse, ys vnwytty, and of hard kynde. a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) i. f. 6 Hard wittes be hard to receiue, but sure to keepe. 1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata i. vii. 13 In configuration of Mercury..the native shall be of slow and ill utterance, of a dull and hard wit and capacity. 1772 J. Entick New Spelling Dict. (new ed.) 351/1 Stockish, hard, dull, stupid. 1871 B. Taylor tr. J. W. von Goethe Faust II. ii. iii. 183 Wise words in hard ears are but lifeless lore [Ger. Ein kluges Wort erstarrt im harten Ohr]. 1896 Werner's Mag. Jan. 192/1 In Portugal [Ghirardelli says] men are melancholy, sanguine, and robust, but slow and hard of intellect. 1903 Theosophical Rev. 15 Mar. 361 When the others laughed at me for my hard understanding I thought I might make up for it by working still harder. 5. Unwilling to part with money; parsimonious, stingy, mean. Cf. hard-fisted adj. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adjective] gnedec900 gripplea1000 fastOE narrow-hearteda1200 narrow?c1225 straitc1290 chinchc1300 nithinga1325 scarcec1330 clama1340 hard1340 scantc1366 sparingc1386 niggardc1400 chinchy?1406 retentivea1450 niggardousa1492 niggish1519 unliberal1533 pinching1548 dry1552 nigh1555 niggardly1560 churlish1566 squeamish1566 niggardish1567 niggard-like1567 holding1569 spare1577 handfast1578 envious1580 close-handed1585 hard-handed1587 curmudgeonly1590 parsimonious?1591 costive1594 hidebound1598 penny-pinching1600 penurious1600 strait-handed1600 club-fisted1601 dry-fisted1604 fast-handed1605 fast-fingered1607 close-fisted1608 near1611 scanting1613 carkingc1620 illiberal1623 clutch-fisteda1634 hideboundeda1640 clutch-fista1643 clunch-fisted1644 unbounteous1645 hard-fisted1646 purse-bound1652 close1654 stingy1659 tenacious1676 scanty1692 sneaking1696 gripe-handed1698 narrow-souled1699 niggardling1704 snippy1727 unindulgent1742 shabby1766 neargoinga1774 cheesemongering1781 split-farthing1787 save-all1788 picked1790 iron-fisted1794 unhandsome1800 scaly1803 nearbegoing1805 tight1805 nippit1808 nipcheese1819 cumin-splitting1822 partan-handed1823 scrimping1823 scrumptious1823 scrimpy1825 meanly1827 skinny1833 pinchfisted1837 mean1840 tight-fisted1843 screwy1844 stinty1849 cheeseparing1857 skinflinty1886 mouly1904 mingy1911 cheapskate1912 picey1937 tight-assed1961 chintzy1964 tightwad1976 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 187 (MED) Uor to yeue uor god, hy byeþ harde ase an aymont. c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. i. l. 165 Beo no men hardore þen þei whon heo beoþ avaunset. a1425 (?a1350) Seven Sages (Galba) (1907) l. 1321 (MED) A liberal man was ane of þa; Þe toþer was hard and fast haldand. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 131 (MED) A ful thynge hit is to a kynge and vnsemely, to be harde and scarse, For noone Suche a man may loue. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 314/2 Harde, as one that is a nygarde, chiche. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 49 He was free and liberall to straungers, and heard and holdyng from his familiers and seruauntes. 1625 S. Purchas Pilgrimes II. vii. ii. 933 They are very hard and nigardly, and will giue but little. 1726 Dublin Weekly Jrnl. 23 Apr. 218/2 Every Body makes a Merit of it, when they have trick'd a Hard Niggardly Chap into the Belief of his having got a special Bargain. 1781 S. J. Pratt Sympathy ii. 29 Place wealth alone With some hard niggard, lock up all his own. 1826 M. Corbett & M. Corbett Odd Volume 247 He's unco hard too, as narrow as a penny ribbon. 1891 J. Kavanagh Nathalie xxxiv. 492 Monsieur de Sainville was a dreadful miser, a hard, stingy man. 2012 A. G. Forji Passing through World 77 Nata was so hard with money. 6. Of the pulse: difficult to compress when palpated (often regarded as a sign of high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis). ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disordered pulse or circulation > [adjective] > other pulse disorders harda1398 rare1565 soft1571 large1612 bigeminal1877 bigeminous1881 Adams–Stokes1896 Stokes-Adams1903 quadrigeminal1906 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. vii. xxxiv. 380 Signes and tokenes þerof beþ..hard puls [L. pulsus durus], and swift and ofte smytinge. 1562 W. Bullein Comfortable Regiment v. xvi. sig. O2^v The Signes..are great dolor from the shoulders to the nethermost ribbe, punction in the side, continuall feuer, difficultie of respiring, coughing, hard pulse. 1697 J. Pechey Plain Introd. Art Physick i. 4 The signs of an hot and moist Temperament, are a large Pulse, but not frequent nor hard [etc.]. 1772 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 62 456 In ten minutes pulse 80, fuller and harder. 1830 J. Baxter Libr. Agric. & Hort. Knowl. 287 The pulse..is hard and full, not weak and oppressed. 1997 R. Porter Greatest Benefit to Mankind xviii. 583 This produces the ‘hard pulse’ familiar to clinicians and brings on shortness of breath and angina pains. 7. a. Originally of money: in the form of coins as opposed to banknotes, bills, etc. Later also: designating coins, banknotes, or other objects or documents viewed as having exchangeable value, as opposed to unsecured paper credit. Frequently in hard cash. Cf. hard currency n. 1. ΚΠ 1687 C. Sedley Bellamira v. 60 I'll give thee fifty Guineas hard Money in hand. 1706 G. Farquhar Recruiting Officer iv. ii. 51 Your Mother has a hundred Pound in hard Money lying..in the hands of a Mercer. 1759 H. Bouquet Let. 1 Sept. in S. K. Stevens & D. H. Kent Papers H. Bouquet (1940) Ser. 21652. 229 Please to apply to M^r. Hunter for hard Cash or make the best of your Paper, When I get nearer the Chests I will send you Metal. 1779 A. Adams in J. Adams & A. Adams Familiar Lett. (1876) 365 Corn is sold at four dollars, hard money, per bushel. 1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd II. v. viii. 190 We were to get hard cash to meet a run. 1882 R. Bithell Counting-house Dict. Hard cash,..often popularly used to denote bank notes, and other documents of undoubted value, in contradistinction to mere book debts, or commercial rights. 1939 J. Fante Ask the Dust iii. 37 I can't give you any hard cash, kid. But I'll see that you get all the milk you need. 1999 A. Hurley tr. G. A. Baralt Buena Vista 86 Some workers never received hard payment, whether legal tender or riles. 2006 C. Frazier Thirteen Moons ii. vi. 109 I went inside and collected all my savings—hard money and scrip both—from their various hiding places. b. U.S. Politics. Of donated money: subject to limitation and regulation under laws governing political-campaign financing. Chiefly in hard money. ΚΠ 1972 Washington Post 12 Apr. a8/3 It's the difference between soft money and hard money. On state campaigns you can use union treasury money. On federal campaigns, you can't. 1980 N.Y. Times 8 Oct. b6/1 At the national and state levels combined, the committee is constrained by law from giving direct contributions, known as ‘hard money’, of more than $5,000 to any single candidate. 1996 Time 24 June 26/1 Direct gifts to candidates, called hard money, is strictly limited. 2000 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 9 Nov. 23 The attempt to distinguish between ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ donations is already the subject of widespread scorn. 2011 C. J. Nelson Grant Park i. 14 Political commercials that explicitly advocated for the support or defeat of a candidate..had to be paid for with hard money. 8. a. Of a magnetizable material: highly resistant to being demagnetized (as hard iron). ΚΠ a1737 J. Hutchinson Glory or Gravity: 2nd Pt. in Philos. & Theol. Wks. (1749) XI. 341 Soft Iron will not attract the Filings of Iron after it is touched, but hard Iron will. 1801 Encycl. Brit. Suppl. II. 149/2 When the north pole of a weak but hard magnet is set on the north pole of a strong one, it must certainly repel part of the fluid to the other end, and thus it must weaken the magnet. 1852 Jrnl. Franklin Inst. July 68 A very hard magnet,..when under the influence of another of double its power, was not sensibly affected either way. 1881 J. C. Maxwell Treat. Electr. & Magnetism (ed. 2) II. 44 Iron which retains its magnetic properties when removed from the magnetic field is called Hard iron. 1958 Billboard 17 Feb. 30/4 These oxides are magnetically hard. 1993 L. S. Lerner Physics for Scientists & Engineers II. ix. 763 One way to make a permanent magnet is to heat a bar of magnetically hard material to redness and then let it cool in the presence of a strong magnet. 2009 B. D. Cullity & C. D. Graham Introd. Magn. Materials (ed. 2) i. 18 Sometimes the same material may be either magnetically soft or hard, depending on its physical condition. 2013 J. T. Shipman et al. Introd. Physical Sci. (ed. 13) viii. 213 Hard iron is used for permanent magnets such as bar magnets. b. Chemistry. Designating (a) an acid (in the sense ‘electron acceptor’: acid n. 1a(b)) characterized by low polarizability, small atomic or ionic radius, and a high positive oxidation state; (b) a base (in the sense ‘electron donor’: base n.¹ 14a) characterized by low polarizability, small atomic or ionic radius, and high electronegativity. ΚΠ 1963 R. G. Pearson in Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 85 3533/2 It will be convenient to divide bases into two categories, those that are polarizable, or ‘soft’, and those that are nonpolarizable, or ‘hard’. [Note The descriptive adjectives..were suggested by Professor D. H. Busch of Ohio State University.] 1985 Internat. Jrnl. Nucl. Med. & Biol. 12 115 It was presumed that hard acids of trivalence, quadrivalence and pentavalence would replace Ca in the Ca salts of hard bases. 1995 D. M. P. Mingos Essent. Inorg. Chem. (1997) 4 Hard bases such as nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine ligands bind more strongly to hard acids such as Al³⁺, Co³⁺, Fe⁺, etc. 2003 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100 3580/1 These ligands are ideal for binding Fe³⁺, with three anionic oxygens (hard bases in the Pearson classification) and one neutral nitrogen. 9. Of knowledge, etc.: irrefutable, reliable, based on solid evidence. a. Of a fact or truth: incapable of being denied or explained away (though unpleasant or inconvenient); awkward; irrefutable. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > [adjective] wislyc1000 sickera1225 firm1377 unfailingc1400 decided1439 suredc1450 sure1470 infirmat1487 delivered1499 fast and sure1528 undeceivablea1535 undoubteda1535 certainc1540 true (also good, sure) as touch1590 constant1611 positivea1616 square1632 formal1635 unapocryphal1644 inconditional1646 inconditionate1654 undeceitful1673 unshakeable1677 unproblematic1683 unprecarious1688 unerring1697 safe1788 hard1791 unproblematical1792 decisive1800 dead-on1889 hands down1900 1791 P. Webster Polit. Ess. 357 They will..grow willing to hearken to some plan that is admissible by the hard facts which stand round them. 1826 J. Penrose Treat. Evid. Script. Miracles ii. 26 To refer the miracles..not to God, but to the power of evil spirits, was only a fetch..to get rid of the force of a hard truth. 1874 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 1st Ser. 292 Hawthorne..sought refuge from the hard facts of commonplace life by retiring into a visionary world. 1918 Atlantic Monthly Sept. 318/1 He had offered her hard truth..and it had proved too hard for her. 1956 A. H. Compton Atomic Quest 311 The hard fact is that war, like business, reduces to a question of gain versus cost. 2012 Independent 24 July 25/2 They choose not to understand..why crime is rising. It's down to a hard fact: nobody has anything to do. b. Employing quantitative, objective, or rigorous analysis or testing; amenable to precise mathematical treatment or experimental verification or refutation; esp. in hard science. Cf. soft adj. 30b. ΚΠ 1858 Jrnl. Soc. Arts 29 Oct. 704/1 The Manchester Athenæum was the first association of the kind which recognised the propriety of educating the people by means of attractive literature... not by cramming philosophy and hard sciences into them. 1907 Dublin Jrnl. Med. Sci. 124 432 In the field of Preventive Medicine more than anywhere else are our practical methods based on hard science. 1968 Physics Bull. Oct. 351/2 One of the striking features of the present time is the penetration of ‘hard’ methods (quantitative, physical analyses) into subjects which were hitherto ‘soft’ (descriptive, non-numerical). 1999 L. Schiebinger Has Feminism Changed Sci.? ix. 160 We are told repeatedly that the physical sciences are hard and that the life sciences, like the humanities and social sciences, are soft. 2009 Financial Times 27 Nov. 13/1 Economists have always been keen to borrow principles from the hard sciences. c. Of information, news, etc.: accurate, reliable, substantiated; objective. Later also: factual, informative (rather than primarily entertaining or light-hearted). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > truthfulness, veracity > [adjective] > of information: factual, real hard1860 1860 Recreative Sci. 1 229/1 The unprofessional observer..must descend to hard facts, and forget for a while the sublime suggestions of a system of mechanism that throbs like a living creature. 1914 B. Russell Our Knowl. External World iii. 70 I mean by ‘hard’ data those which resist the solvent influence of critical reflection. 1938 E. Waugh Scoop ii. i. 117 There isn't any hard news... You can't get a word out of the Government. 1948 Newsweek 16 Aug. 51/1 The bulk of the broadcast time is given over to so-called ‘hard news’—that is, straight newscasts of what is going on in the world and in the United States. 1963 Ann. Reg. 1962 520 Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature..I directed that our surveillance be stepped up. 2004 Smithsonian Nov. 32/3 A social scientist..was even trying to determine if there is a biological influence on why some people prefer comedies to dramas, hard news to fluff. d. Designating science fiction dealing with technological advances which do not contravene currently accepted scientific laws or principles; of or characteristic of such science fiction. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > science fiction, etc. > [adjective] > types of hard1957 space-fictional1963 1957 P. S. Miller in Astounding Sci. Fiction Feb. 143/1 It is also very characteristic of the best ‘hard’ science fiction of its day. 1970 ‘W. Atheling’ More Issues at Hand 99 ‘Hard’ science fiction, in which a conscientious attempt to be faithful to already known facts..was the substrate on which the story was to be built. 1977 P. Brigg in J. D. Olander & H. Greenberg A. C. Clarke i. 42 What differentiates Rendezvous with Rama from its sources is the beautiful cohesion of all the ‘hard’ aspects of the story. 1988 Locus Apr. 25/2 In typical hard sf style, there are plenty of ideas to interest the reader. 1995 Economist 2 Sept. 120/2 Such hard writers put great stress on creating plausible worlds and plausible aliens. 2004 N.Y. Times Guide Essent. Knowledge 373/2 Campbell's ‘hard’ approach to science fiction insisted on scientific plausibility. 10. Business and Finance. a. Originally U.S. Of a share, commodity, etc.: offered at a high price; (of a price) high, and showing no downward tendency. Cf. firm adj. 7a, stiff adj. 10. Now rare.In quot. 1838 perhaps passing into the sense ‘hard to come by; scarce’. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > fluctuation in price > steadiness in price > [adjective] hard1838 steady1857 firm1883 stiff1883 1838 D. Webster Let. 11 May in Private Corr. (1857) II. 37 Money is very hard, all along the coast, from here [sc. Washington, D.C.] North. 1892 Daily News 11 Feb. 2/5 In American cotton..prices are reported harder. 1899 Electr. Rev. 24 Nov. 856/2 Provincial shares are hard. 1958 Pop. Sci. Mar. 102/2 Opel prices are hard. You can dicker on a Chevy, De Soto, or..a Buick. But not on an Opel. Reason: They're scarce. 1978 Times 15 Sept. 24/1 Leader-stocks were generally off the bottom by the close, leaving..Unilever a penny harder at 565p. b. Of a market: characterized by high demand and low supply, resulting in high prices. Cf. soft adj. 26b. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > trading conditions > [adjective] > specific state of market simplea1387 glutted1714 heavy1831 saturated1848 soft1849 hard1880 firm1887 market clearing1950 demand-led1981 1880 Brit. Trade Jrnl. May Suppl. 15/2 The market is strong and American advices report a hard market. 1892 Belford's Monthly Oct. 768 When the repeal took effect an abnormal demand arose from these distributors, which, acting upon an already ‘hard’ market, forced the sharp advance referred to. 1921 Coal Rev. 20 July 13/2 Every coal dealer in Chicago would prefer to sell coal now at the present reasonable price than to get a higher figure later under the pressure of a hard market. 1968 E. H. P. Brown Pay & Profits ii. 22 These are the times of a soft market environment, in the most active years of the trade cycle, and the more recent years of sustained full employment. The times of hard market environment may likewise bear equally upon both elements. 2010 Reinsurance Mag. (Nexis) 3 Sept. 33 One hard area is the D&O market for financial institutions but, when you get a hard market, the capital flows there quickly and it doesn't stay hard for long. 11. Military. Of a nuclear site or structure: exceptionally robust; spec. designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Also of a nuclear missile: designed to be fired from a silo of this kind. Cf. hardened adj. 4. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > defence > [adjective] > proof against weapons cannon-proof1588 pistol-proof1590 sword-proofa1593 musket-proof1603 arrow-proof1612 shot-free1616 bomb-proof1702 splinter-proof1834 bullet-proof1856 metal proof1906 hard1958 1958 R. D. Bowers in Air Univ. Q. Rev. 10 91 It would be useful to know how the cost of a hard base compares to that of a soft base if they have equal measures of merit (cost per surviving missile). 1962 Listener 29 Mar. 547/2 The American development of missiles such as Minuteman which can be fired from strongly protected pits in the ground—the so-called hard missile sites—as well as the Polaris submarines. 1970 Bull. Atomic Scientists June 100/2 The strategic stability provided by missiles in hard silos. 1975 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) Oct. 6/1 There are a number of hard military targets other than missile silos..that nuclear weapons may not be effective against unless they are accurate. 1988 Internat. Stud. Q. 32 18 ‘Soft’ cities and industrial targets that are attacked in a countervalue strike are more vulnerable than ‘hard’ missile sites. 2006 J. E. Goodby At Borderline of Armageddon vi. 110 He thought there were 1,500 to 2,000 Soviet hard targets which a U.S. counterforce attack should be able to destroy. II. Difficult; not easy; requiring much effort. 12. a. Difficult to do or accomplish; not easy; full of obstacles; laborious; troublesome, awkward. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective] > laborious or toilsome soreOE workfulOE hardOE torc1175 beswinkfulc1230 heavya1325 sweatyc1374 travailousa1382 laboriousa1393 laborousc1405 winful1443 painfulc1480 toilous1530 operousa1538 drudging1548 travailsome1549 laboursome1551 moilingc1566 toilsome?1570 toilful1573 sweating1592 insudate1609 sweatfula1618 moliminous1656 operose1659 swinking1693 schleppy1978 OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) iv. v. 268 Þa þuhte me swiðe heard & uneaðe, þæt seo wise wære gelyfed [L. ualde durum uidetur, ut credatur res esse], þe nænig man geseon ne mihte. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 2330 (MED) Tho made him love an hard eschange To sette his herte and to beginne Thing which he mihte nevere winne. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7225 (MED) Bot herd [a1400 Gött. hard, a1400 Frf. harde] it es to stand again Þe wijf þat fines noght to frain. Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 227 Harde yn..warkynge, difficilis. a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) vi. §4. 22 Fulhard it is to be turnyd enterly til the bryghthed and the pees of godis lyght. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 97 It is as harde, and laborus, to get the Longitude. 1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. to Rdr. sig. A4 So hard a thing it is to please all. 1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler ii. 60 I see now it is a harder matter to catch a Trout then a Chub. View more context for this quotation 1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 36. ⁋8 How hard a thing it is for those to keep Silence who have the Use of Speech. 1792 J. Hurdis Sir Thomas More ii. 51 I will endeavour to repeal my fault, By bidding him who loves me, no hard task, To find a wife more worthy. 1833 J. Abbott Young Christian v. 92 It is harder for him to act independently now, on a subject which affects his standing in the estimation of his companions. 1876 J. B. Mozley Serm. preached Univ. of Oxf. iv. 90 Often..what we must do as simply right..is just the hardest thing to do. 1916 C. J. Marshall Diary 6 Apr. in Gen. Mag. & Hist. Chron. (Univ. Pennsylvania) (1942) Apr. 317 It is much harder to get things or to get around here than it is in London. 1959 Rotarian Mar. 54/2 It was hard to take the shrieking and shouting, and the noises from the seclusion rooms. 1980 J. B. Enright in S. Boorstein Transpersonal Psychotherapy (ed. 2) xvi. 277 Every argument a client brings up about how hard change is, becomes an argument for acceptance. 2011 M. Roffey With Kisses of his Mouth 140 It was hard to get a clean eco-nappy back on. b. With to and infinitive. Of the object of an action: not readily susceptible to the specified action. Formerly also with †of or †in and a noun expressing the action. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adjective] arvethc885 uneathOE arvethlichc1000 evilc1175 hardc1175 deara1225 derfa1225 illc1330 wickeda1375 uneasy1398 difficul?a1450 difficile?1473 difficulta1527 unready1535 craggy1582 spiny1604 tough1619 uphill1622 shrewda1626 spinousa1638 scabrous1646 spinose1660 rugged1663 cranka1745 tight1764 thraward1818 nasty1828 upstream1847 awkward1860 pricklyc1862 bristling1871 sticky1871 rocky1873 dodgy1898 challengeful1927 solid1943 ball-busting1944 challenging1975 the mind > attention and judgement > bad taste > unseemliness or unbecomingness > [adjective] > unpleasant harda1535 rebarbative1892 c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6326 & tatt iss swiþe strang. & harrd To forþenn her onn eorþe. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 2 Macc. xii. 21 It was vnable..hard in goynge to, for streytnesse of places. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 16992 His pine was hardir [Vesp. herder] for to drei. a1450 (c1412) T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum (Harl. 4866) (1897) l. 825 (MED) Paiement is hard to gete adayes. a1535 T. More Hist. Richard III in Wks. (1557) 45/1 Harde it is to wraste oute. 1596 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent (rev. ed.) 481 Crafty counseiles..be hard in the handeling [L. tractatu difficilia], and wofull in the winding vp. 1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler viii. 168 He is a very subtle fish and hard to be caught. View more context for this quotation 1661 J. Glanvill Vanity of Dogmatizing ix. 85 Gravity, which makes great bodies hard of Remove. 1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Radish They are hard of digestion, causing nauseating eructations. 1768 L. Sterne Sentimental Journey II. 112 I was hard to please. 1848 H. W. Haygarth Recoll. Bush Life Austral. v. 47 The wool nearest the skin..is the hardest to cut, but the most weighty and valuable. 1864 G. Rawlinson Five Great Monarchies (1882) II. ix. 44 The duration of a single unbroken empire continuously for 1306 (or 1360) years..must be admitted to be a thing hard of belief, if not actually incredible. 1923 Granta 2 Mar. At Oxford the Honours School of English claims that its ‘first’ is harder to win than a ‘first’ in any other School there. 1976 Daily Mirror 16 July 5/7 Carter will be a hard man to beat. 2004 F. Lawrence Not on Label 105 Figures are hard to come by, but the baking industry reckons that half of the big retailers' in-store bakeries are using ‘prebaked’ dough. c. Of a person: not easily able to do something or capable of doing something. Formerly also with †in. Now only in hard of hearing at Phrases 5, and phrases modelled on this. ΚΠ a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Num. xx. 10 Here ȝe rebel & hard to byleue [a1425 L.V. vnbileueful; L. increduli], wheþer of þis stoon water to ȝow we mowe castyn out? a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 9326 Men sua herd of vnder-stand [Gött. Men sua hard at to vnderstand, Trin. Cambr. So harde men to vndirstonde]. 1422 in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt Bk. London Eng. (1931) 144 (MED) Þe world was hard of taking of money yn þat ȝer with þe Crafte of Breweres, For her Custumers paid hem not well. c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) cxxvi. 464 We ar hard of byleue that this shall be. 1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 8 If one bee harde in conceiuing, they pronounce him a dowlte,..if without speach, a Cypher. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 191 Of slowe capacitie, and hard to learne and conceyue. 1613 T. Lodge tr. Seneca Epist. in tr. Seneca Wks. (1614) 406 To those that are dull and hard of vnderstanding, or long time besieged with euill customes, the rust of their mindes must be rubbed off. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iii. x. 137 He..found the Natives..very hard to believe that the Fact was possible. 1764 W. Dodd Visitor I. xiii. 93 They had forsaken him. And were hard of belief, when they they heard of his resurrection. 1817 M. Edgeworth Ormond in Harrington & Ormond III. xxiv. 150 You are mighty hard of understanding this morning, Sheelah. 1858 C. Dickens Let. 20 Aug. (1995) VIII. 629 I have been very hard to sleep too, and last night I was all but sleepless. 1959 ‘H. MacDiarmid’ Burns Today & Tomorrow 126 All of these readers and writers can only be described as hard-of-thinking—which is the main problem confronting our Movement. 1990 T. R. Young Drama of Social Life 348 Riots, too, are a form of language in which the voiceless get the attention of those who are ‘hard of listening’. 2005 Weekly World News 14 Nov. 2/3 My grandma is kinda hard-of-seeing. 13. Difficult to understand, answer, or explain. Cf. hard word n. 2. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > depth, obscurity > [adjective] higheOE dighela1000 deepc1000 darkOE starkOE dusk?c1225 subtle1340 dimc1350 subtilea1393 covert1393 mystica1398 murka1400 cloudyc1400 hard?c1400 mistyc1400 unclearc1400 diffuse1430 abstractc1450 diffused?1456 exquisitec1460 obnubilous?a1475 obscure?a1475 covered1484 intricate?a1500 nice?a1500 perplexeda1500 difficilea1513 difficult1530 privy1532 smoky1533 secret1535 abstruse?1549 difficul1552 entangled1561 confounded1572 darksome1574 obnubilate1575 enigmatical1576 confuse1577 mysteriousa1586 Delphic1598 obfuscatea1600 enfumed1601 Delphicala1603 obstruse1604 abstracted1605 confused1611 questionable1611 inevident1614 recondite1619 cryptic1620 obfuscated1620 transcendent1624 Delphian1625 oraculous1625 enigmatic1628 recluse1629 abdite1635 undilucidated1635 clouded1641 benighted1647 oblite1650 researched1653 obnubilated1658 obscurative1664 tenebrose1677 hyperbyssal1691 condite1695 diffusive1709 profound1710 tenebricose1730 oracular1749 opaque1761 unenlightening1768 darkling1795 offuscating1798 unrecognizable1817 tough1820 abstrusive1848 obscurant1878 out-of-focus1891 unplumbable1895 inenubilable1903 non-transparent1939 c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) (1850) 2 Pet. iii. 16 Epistlis..in whiche ben summe harde thinges in vndirstondinge.] ?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) v. pr. iii. l. 4437 Now am I confounded by a more harde doute þan I was. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Summoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 83 The text of holy writ..is hard to yow, as I suppose. a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 118 Knouleche of many harde questiouns. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxxii[i]. 16 Then thought I to vnderstonde this, but it was to harde for me. 1563 T. Gale Certaine Wks. Chirurg. iv. To Rdr sig. Aaa.iiii The hard names of medicines by oft reding will be persed. 1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion To Rdr. sig. A^v Then hast thou the Illustration of this learned Gentleman, my friend, to explaine euery hard matter of history. a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) I. 218 Distinctions,..By b'ing too nicely overstrain'd and vext, Have made the Comment harder than the Text. 1740 D. Hume Treat. Human Nature App. 305 I must plead the privilege of a sceptic, and confess, that this difficulty is too hard for my understanding. 1779–80 E. Capell Notes & Var. Readings Shakespeare (new ed.) II. 148/1 Arm'd with this explanation of the only hard term in it, whoso pleases to examine the speech..will perceive in it..clearness and consistency. 1843 Merry's Museum 3 190/2 I have flattered myself that it is a hoax; but if it is not, I must confess it is the hardest puzzle I have seen for some time. 1888 J. W. Burgon Lives Twelve Good Men II. xii. 364 The men were encouraged to propose difficult texts of Scripture,—to ask hard questions,—to ventilate their individual doubts and perplexities. 1920 E. C. Wooley Handbk. Composition (rev. ed.) i. 33 Mathematics is my hardest subject. 1975 Canad. Math. Bull. 18 446 His rival was trying his power on the hard problems of reduction theory. 2008 Independent 29 Dec. 32/5 What can teachers do to get children interested in Shakespeare if they find it too hard? 14. Of a person: difficult to deal with, control, or contend against. In early use chiefly in †too hard for: too much for (a person), more than (a person) can manage (obsolete). Cf. hard case n. 3, hard ticket n. at Compounds 4, etc.Sometimes merging with or influenced by sense A. 2a. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > types of difficulty > [adjective] > difficult or intractable (of things) wickc1330 riotous1340 wickeda1352 untreatablec1374 frowarda1400 inobedient1495 stubborn?1518 unwieldya1538 unruly1548 wieldlessa1560 hard1560 untoward1566 tickle1570 churlish1577 unwieldsome1579 rebellious1587 disobedient1588 unframeable1593 unwilling1593 untractable1601 unmanageable1606 intractable1607 surly1609 unwedgeablea1616 dogged1627 uncontrollable1648 obdurate1651 morose1652 uncompliant1659 sullen1678 unpliant1716 ungovernable1773 sulky1867 intractile1880 unwieldly1881 bunglesome1915 1560 Bible (Geneva) 2 Sam. iii. 39 And I am this day weake and newely anointed King: and these men the sonnes of Zeruiáh be to hard for me: y^e Lord reward the doer of euil according to his wickednes. 1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 258 Boy. What then, do you see? Lad. I, our way to be gone. Boy. You are too hard for mee. View more context for this quotation 1605 R. Verstegan Restit. Decayed Intelligence ii. 32 The hollander was too hard for the frenchman, & threw him down. 1751 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 21 Jan. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1664 A man who is master of his matter will, with inferior parts, be too hard..for a man of better parts, who knows his subject but superficially. 1757 G. Shelvocke, Jr. Shelvocke's Voy. round World (ed. 2) xi. 330 If we found the enemy too hard for us. a1848 G. F. Ruxton Life in Far West (1849) iv. 107 La Bonté had lost all traces of civilised humanity, and might justly claim to be considered as ‘hard a case’ as any of the mountaineers then present. 1870 A. W. M'Clure Lives Chief Fathers New Eng. I. ix. 256 It was about to be ascertained that solid ‘round-heads’ were much too hard for empty ‘rattle-heads’. 1920 L. J. Miln Feast of Lanterns xxii. 158 ‘Be good to her.’ The last words were a plea, and a little anxious. Mary Worthing knew how hard girls could be. 1981 L. R. Banks Writing on Wall iv. 32 She could even keep the hard boys in order. 2013 Chronicle (Toowoomba, Queensland) (Nexis) 11 Sept. 21 It's pretty tiring if you play a hard team the day before and then play another hard team on the Sunday. III. Harsh, severe, arduous, unpleasant. 15. a. Difficult to bear; requiring great endurance; causing or involving (undue) suffering; cruel; grim. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > ill-treatment > cruelty > [adjective] wrothc893 retheeOE hateleOE grim971 hardOE cruel1297 despitousc1374 savagea1393 fadea1400 hetera1400 keen?c1425 vengeablec1430 despiteful1488 unmanfula1500 despiteous?1510 cruent1524 felonish1530 Herodian1581 felly1583 savaged1583 Neronian1598 savagious1605 Dionysian1608 black-blooded1771 atrocious1772 Neroic1851 Neronic1864 OE Andreas (1932) 1562 Us seo wyrd scyðeð, heard ond hetegrim. OE Beowulf (2008) 166 Swa fela fyrena feond mancynnes..oft gefremede, heardra hynða. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1442 Harrd. & hefiȝ pine inoh. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 4340 Þe senatour in gret þoȝt was sone In such hard [c1425 Harl. ard] cas as him biuel. a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 4539 Þan sal he..grevusly þam tourment, Þat til his law wille noght assent, And do þam to hard dede at þe last. 1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 104 [He] had grete sorow in his corage whan he was aduertised of these harde tydinges. 1544 A. Cope Hist. Anniball & Scipio xliv. f. 80^v In all the tyme of this great ruyne and hard fortune, the hertes, the vertue and courage of the Romaynes remayned styl stedfast hole and vnmouable. 1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. ii. 102 Fearing hard measure, if they should be carried unto the king. 1683 T. Gipps 3 Serm. iii. 68 The Subjects Circumstances were so hard, their Condition so miserable, where 'twas worth their while to hazard their Lives and Fortunes by Civil Discord. a1770 J. Jortin Serm. (1771) II. ii. 29 We then think our condition particularly hard. 1825 W. Hone Every-day Bk. (1826) I. 218 It is a little hard, indeed, that I should have these fine compliments and severe reproaches at the same time. 1893 F. C. Selous Trav. S.-E. Afr. 109 The life these people lead is a hard one. 1909 Chatterbox 54/1 Remember also the ancient deeds of our forefathers, who, in the hardest extremity, yet always prevailed. 1946 G. Hopkins tr. F. Mauriac Woman of Pharisees xii. 165 He began to snivel, and to say that it was very hard that after a lifetime of work for others, he should find himself threatened in his old age. 2007 L. Dallaglio It's in Blood iv. 66 I found it too hard to see my parents broken-hearted. b. Of the weather, a season, etc.: harsh in its effects; severe, violent.In hard winter, hard frost, often with the notion that the ground is frozen solid. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > cold weather > [adjective] > intensely cold, freezing, or frosty > frosty > keen or hard (of frost) hardOE ringing1824 strict1893 OE Riddle 40 54 Heardra ic eom ond caldra þonne se hearda forst, hrim heorugrimma. lOE Prognostics (Hatton) (2007) 496 Gif seo midwinter bið on wodnesdæg, þonne bið heard winter [L. hiems dura & aspera]. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1879) VII. 447 Þo was an hard [L. asperrima] wynter, strong honger, deeþ of men. c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 524 (MED) Sesounez schal yow never sese..Ne hete, ne no harde forst, umbre ne droȝþe. c1450 Treat. Fishing in J. McDonald et al. Origins of Angling (1963) 139 Yn þe most herde & colde wedyr he is soyr greved. 1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Harde winter or verye colde, sæuissima Hyems. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 946 It was such an extreame hard frost out of all season. 1605 Bp. J. Hall Medit. & Vowes II. §78 Winter comes on softly, first by colde dewes, then hoare frostes, vntill at last it descende to the hardest weather of all. 1686 London Gaz. No. 2199/4 With a hard gale or Wind at S.S.W. 1700 S. L. tr. C. Schweitzer Relation Voy. in tr. C. Frick & C. Schweitzer Relation Two Voy. E.-Indies 299 A very hard Storm fell upon us in the way. 1755 N. Magens Ess. Insurances II. 98 Any Thing that falls over board [or] is spoiled or damaged by hard Weather. 1842 Naut. Mag. & Naval Chron. No. 8. 517 Hard gales from E.N.E. with constant rain. 1884 Nonconformist & Independent 16 Oct. 1006/1 We shall have a ‘hard’ winter. 1905 Kynoch Jrnl. Jan. 46 When the natural food is exhausted, in hard weather a few handfuls of small corn..are scattered about. 1951 E. Welty in H. Brickell O. Henry Prize Stories of 1951 21 Springing up..like all the green in the world after a hard rain. 2001 M. Spooner Daniel's Walk iii. 101 Plants were scarce, except for sage and bunchgrass, which seemed to love the hard climate. c. Of a period of time or (later) labour: characterized by adversity or hardship; gruelling; (in weakened sense) arduous, tiring.In quot. OE with reference to the Day of Judgement. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > [adjective] > full of hardship hardOE soreOE starkOE difficult1562 flinty1613 rugged1663 rough1709 rude1735 tough1890 OE Crist III 1064 Ðonne sio byman stefen..ond se egsan þrea, ond se hearda dæg ond seo hea rod..folcdryht wera biforan bonnað. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iii. l. 980 It hath be sen and felt fulofte, The harde time after the softe. 1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 60 The time muste be taken as hit cometh, is hit hard or softe. 1574 tr. Life 70. Archbishopp Canterbury sig. Aiiij^v The hard and troublesome tymes off Queene Marie. 1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata iv. 259 Generally it shall be a turbulent and hard year both for man and beast. ?1706 E. Hickeringill Priest-craft: 2nd Pt. viii. 73 Money is Money, a very necessary Commodity in Hard times. ?1752 Lilliputian Mag. 117 The bed you lie on seems soft, after a hard day's work, as your down beds. 1827 P. Cunningham Two Years New S. Wales II. xxviii. 200 Three hard weeks of toilsome trudging over rugged hills. 1890 W. E. H. Lecky Hist. Eng. 18th Cent. VII. 14 1793 was eminently a ‘hard year’, and great numbers of labourers were out of employment. 1916 Caterpillar Times Mar. 1/2 The hard harvest season takes all the ‘work’ out of horses. 1966 R.W. Richmond & R.W. Mardock Nation moving West 308 Times were hard, and without a man on the farm, difficulties were magnified. 2006 New Woman Dec. 104/1 After a hard day at work, curl up in your fave armchair..and just read a book for a half an hour. d. Of wear or use: rough and continuous, heavy. ΚΠ 1764 M. C. Each Sex in their Humour I. i. 11 His stockings had received, either from time or hard wear, no inconsiderable damage. 1841 B. Hall Patchwork (ed. 2) III. xi. 293 The friction against rocks..is often fatal to a hempen cable in a few minutes; but the same friction, after weeks of hard use, only slightly polishes a few links of the chain. 1897 Westm. Gaz. 22 Apr. 3/1 A tailor costume destined for hard wear. 1930 Theatre Arts Monthly Jan. p. viii/3 (advt.) The improved Nat Lewis leotards. Lovely, yet sturdily constructed for hard usage. 1955 Househ. Guide & Almanac (News of World) 199/2 Faulty workmanship, hard wear, or warping may all help to create a badly fitted window or door. 2004 VW Motoring Jan. 41/1 Badly kerbed, scuffed or generally shabby wheels point to hard use and lack of owner care. 16. a. Of a person: harsh or severe in dealing with another or others; strict in rule or discipline. See also Phrases 1a.In Old English frequently with the person affected in the dative; in later use sometimes with to. ΘΚΠ society > authority > strictness > [adjective] > severe or stern wrothc893 retheeOE stithc897 starkOE sternOE hardOE dangerous?c1225 sharpa1340 asperc1374 austerec1384 shrewda1387 snella1400 sternful?a1400 unsterna1400 dour?a1425 piquant1521 tetrical1528 tetric1533 sorea1535 rugged?1548 severe1548 hard-handed1611 Catonian1676 tetricous1727 heavy1849 acerbic1853 stiff1856 Catonic1883 tough1905 OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xxv. 24 Hlaford ic wat þæt ðu eart heard mann [L. quia homo durus es], þu ripst þær ðu ne seowe. OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.iv) anno 1043 Heo wæs æror þam cynge hire suna swiðe heard. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 316 Beoð large toward ham þach ȝe narewe beon & harde to ow seoluen. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 28743 Sin crist is buxum to vnbin[d], Qui sal man preist ouer hard find. a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 14 (MED) Be not harde to him þat is tempted, but ȝeue him comfort. 1580 J. Stow Chrons. of Eng. 143 He was hard to his mother, bycause she was hard to him in his minoritie. 1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 84 Heavie and hard neighbours to the Church in Judea. 1795 R. Anderson Brit. Poets II. 680/1 They describe the misery of people under hard masters. 1839 T. Wright Polit. Songs Eng. 57 (note) He would have been hard to them..as they have deserved. 1894 Bull. Pharmacy June 241/2 Dame Care is a hard teacher for pleasure-loving lads. 1907 E. Wharton Fruit of Tree (1914) xxi. 319 There were moments when Justine thought Amherst hard to Bessy, as she suspected that he had once been hard to his mother. 2007 P. Crerand Never turn Other Cheek iv. 66 He could be a hard taskmaster. b. Of actions, speech, etc.: characterized by (undue) harshness or severity; cruel; tough. Cf. hard word n. 1. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adjective] heavyc825 grimc900 strongeOE hardeOE drearyOE eileOE sweerOE deara1000 bitterOE tartc1000 smartOE unridec1175 sharp?c1225 straitc1275 grievousc1290 fellc1330 shrewda1387 snella1400 unsterna1400 vilea1400 importunea1425 ungainc1425 thrallc1430 peisant1483 sore?a1513 weighty1540 heinous?1541 urgent?1542 asperous?1567 dure1567 spiny1586 searching1590 hoara1600 vengible1601 flinty1613 tugging1642 atrocious1733 uncannya1774 severe1774 stern1830 punishing1833 hefty1867 solid1916 the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > harshness or severity > [adjective] heavyc825 retheeOE stithc897 hardeOE starkOE sternOE dangerous?c1225 sharp?c1225 unsoftc1275 sturdy1297 asperc1374 austerec1384 shrewda1387 snella1400 sternful?a1400 dour?a1425 thrallc1430 piquant1521 tetrical1528 tetric1533 sorea1535 rugged?1548 severe1548 iron1574 harsh1579 strict1600 angry1650 Catonian1676 Draconic1708 tetricous1727 alkaline1789 acerbic1853 stiff1856 acerbate1869 acerbitous1870 Draconian1876 Catonic1883 eOE (Kentish) Glosses to Proverbs of Solomon (Vesp. D.vi) in U. Kalbhen Kentische Glossen (2003) 135 Sermo durus [suscitat furorem] : heard spec. OE Blickling Homilies 95 Þonne biþ þam eft heard dom geteod. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1472 Þe rihhte dom iss starrc. & harrd. a1350 ( in R. H. Robbins Hist. Poems 14th & 15th Cent. (1959) 19 (MED) Lutel wes ys þoht of þe harde iugement þat him wes bysoht. c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. i. l. 122 God shal take veniaunce..Wel harder and grettere..Þan euere he dude on ophni. 1529 T. More Supplyc. Soulys i. f. iiii We geue now an hard and a heuy rekenynge. 1550 W. Lynne tr. J. Carion Thre Bks. Cronicles i. f. x^v The man whiche was endued with holynesse & the holy ghost, had set vp a very hard and rigorous maner of rulyng. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iv. viii. 45 He is fierce, and cannot brooke hard Language. View more context for this quotation 1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. i. 1 When hard words, Jealousies and Fears, Set Folks together by the ears. 1740 S. Richardson Pamela I. x. 17 What am I likely to have for my Reward, but Shame and Disgrace, or else ill Words, and hard Treatment! 1833 O. Pickering Rep. Supreme Court Mass. 10 105 To make a trustee liable at all events for compound interest, would..be a hard rule. 1879 C. Cowley Our Divorce Courts iii. 59 For years, his treatment of her was hard, cruel, and tyrannical. 1911 W. Le Queux Red Room xxviii. 264 ‘The punishment for murder is death,’ was my hard response. 1979 B. Freeman & M. Hewitt in Their Town ii. 93/2 This was a hard judgement of Nichols and his editors. 2011 Y. Edwards Cupboard Full Coats xiii. 241 A little hard discipline early, stop you turning out loose. c. Of food, a meal, or a person's diet: frugal, simple; meagre, sparse. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > diet > [adjective] > plain hard1546 sparea1571 gross1599 unexciting1880 R. Misyn tr. R. Rolle Fire of Love 26 Þai fed me comonly or on hard maner. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 111 They com to the hermytage... Full harde was their souper. 1546 W. Hugh Troubled Mans Med. iii. sig. F.vi A wyse pacient, whiche wolde be glad to haue his disease, and the cause thereof expelled by kepynge a harde diete, and receyuynge of bitter medycynes. 1578 T. Churchyard Lamentable & Pitifull Descr. Wofull Warres Flaunders 51 After this long voyage, and hard fare, many dyed. 1607 S. Rowlands Famous Hist. Guy of Warwicke (Hunterian Club) 66 His diet of the meanest, hard and spare. 1654 E. Leigh Syst. Divinity iv. xviii. 360 The rich must inure themselves sometimes to a hard short meal, that they may do more good to others. 1706 J. Potter Archæologia Græca (ed. 2) II. iii. i. 2 They were also accustom'd by hard Diet, by Stripes, and other severities, patiently to undergo hardships. 1785 W. Cowper Task i. 123 Hard fare! but such as boyish appetite Disdains not. 1851 Knickerbocker June 497 Neither Doll nor my friend's beast is usened to hard fare. 1862 W. White Sailor-boy's Log-bk. i. 1 Encouraging Reception—Agree to enter for Ten Years—A hard Supper, and harder Pillow. 1915 J. S. De Benneville Tales Samurai ii. xii. 196 Hyosuke spoke with truth as he remembered the past hard and meagre diet at Fujisawa. 2003 P. L. Richard Busy Hands iii. 104 It did not take long for the authorities to realize that this hard fare did very little to sustain the troops physically or morally. 17. a. Harsh or unpleasant to the eye or ear; grating, discordant; aesthetically displeasing; (of writing or literary style) stiff, laboured. Also more neutrally: stark, unadorned. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > harsh or discordant quality > [adjective] hardOE rudea1375 stern1390 rougha1400 discordanta1425 stoutc1440 hoarse1513 harsh1530 raughtish1567 rugged1567 dissonant1573 harshy1582 jarry1582 immelodious1601 cragged1605 raggeda1616 unmusicala1616 absonousa1620 unharmoniousa1634 inharmonical1683 unharmonic1694 inharmonious1715 craggy1774 pebbly1793 reedy1795 iron1807 dry1819 inharmonic1828 asperated1835 sawing1851 shrewd1876 coarse1879 callithumpian1886 dissonantal1946 ear-bending1946 sandpaper1953 OE Crist III 953 Ðonne heard gebrec, hlud, unmæte, swar ond swiðlic, swegdynna mæst, ældum egeslic, eawed weorþeð. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxxxi. 1388 Þe harde [L. dura] voice is hose, and also þe harde voys is grym and grisliche. a1500 St. Jerome (Lamb.) in Anglia (1880) 3 343 (MED) With a fferefull fface and a hard voyse he satt up and cryed, ‘I shall not..thow lyest.’ 1595 W. Lisle tr. S. G. de Senlis in tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Babilon 61 Those that thinke Cicero bableth without learning,..and that Salust writeth a hard and forced stile. 1682 N. Grew Anat. Plants Pref. sig. A4^v Some of the Plates..are a little hard and stiff. 1741 Ld. Hardwicke et al. Athenian Lett. II. lxxxviii. 187 In this composition thou wilt observe nothing hard or glaring. 1763 St. James's Mag. Nov. 149 His hard verse grates upon the ear. 1818 Q. Rev. 18 235 A hard, dry, ‘exsuccous’ style of writing. 1876 H. N. Humphreys Coin Coll. Man. xxv. 363 The gold coins of Aurelius are good examples of the hard and peculiar style of the period. 1925 E. Sitwell Troy Park 67 Each voice seemed the hard trombone of harsh seas. 1967 B. Raffel Devel. Mod. Indonesian Poetry vi. 180 This is, for Rendra, incredibly flat. If no other work in the volume caught this dry, hard, harsh tone, the poem..could be written off as a simple failure. 2005 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 7 May b 13/4 This is music of cold, hard trumpets and celestial clouds of sound, but all they do is wax and wane. b. Of a person's features or appearance: characterized by strongly delineated lines; rough-hewn.Frequently implying a severe or unfeeling nature (cf. senses A. 3a, A. 16a). ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > face > types of face > [adjective] flatc1400 hardc1400 low-cheeredc1400 large?a1425 ruscledc1440 well-visagedc1440 platter-faced1533 well-faced1534 full-faced1543 fair-faced1553 bright-faceda1560 crab-faced1563 crab-snouted1563 crab-tree-faced1563 long-visaged1584 owlya1586 wainscot-faced1588 flaberkin1592 rough-hewn1593 angel-faced1594 round-faced1594 crab-favoured1596 rugged1596 weasel-faced1596 rough-faced1598 half-faced1600 chitty1601 lenten-faced1604 broad-faced1607 dog-faced1607 weaselled-faced1607 wry-faced1607 maid-faced1610 warp-faced1611 ill-faceda1616 lean-faceda1616 old-faceda1616 moon-faced1619 monkey-faced1620 chitty-face1622 chitty-faceda1627 lean-chapt1629 antic-faced1635 bloat-faced1638 bacon-facea1640 blue-faced1640 hatchet-faced1648 grave1650 lean-jawed1679 smock-faced1684 lean-visaged1686 flaber1687 baby-faced1692 splatter-faced1707 chubby1722 puggy1722 block-faced1751 haggard-looking1756 long-faced1762 haggardly1763 fresh-faced1766 dough-faced1773 pudding-faced1777 baby-featured1780 fat-faced1782 haggard1787 weazen-face1794 keen1798 ferret-like1801 lean-cheeked1812 mulberry-faced1812 open-faced1813 open-countenanced1819 chiselled1821 hatchety1821 misfeatured1822 terse1824 weazen-faced1824 mahogany-faced1825 clock-faced1827 sharp1832 sensual1833 beef-faced1838 weaselly1838 ferret-faced1840 sensuous1843 rat-faced1844 recedent1849 neat-faced1850 cherubimical1854 pinch-faced1859 cherubic1860 frownya1861 receding1866 weak1882 misfeaturing1885 platopic1885 platyopic1885 pro-opic1885 wind-splitting1890 falcon-face1891 blunt-featured1916 bun-faced1927 fish-faced1963 c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 6404 (MED) Þe face hij han playne and hard, Als it were an okes bord. a1425 (c1384) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Ezek. ii. 4 The sones ben of hard face [L. dura facie], and of herte vnchaastisable..to whom I sende thee. 1563 L. Humphrey Nobles or of Nobilitye i. sig. f.i^v These walowing in excesse, maskd in sutes and coloures, with impudent face and hard fauour. a1627 T. Middleton & W. Rowley Changeling (1653) ii. sig. D2^v When w'are us'd to a hard face, 'tis not so unpleasing. 1684 T. Hall Serm. St. Botolphs Aldersgate 35 Look it [sc. death] often in the Face, and thou wilt sooner be reconciled to its hard Features, and grim Countenance. 1718 A. Pope in Weekly Packet 18 Oct. A Virgin hard of Feature. 1782 C. Smith Emmeline IV. viii. 162 His honest hard features seemed pinched with want. 1857 J. Fiske Let. 17 May (1940) 16 Little weaken-faced man of about 35, hard brow, cold eyes. 1882 W. Besant Revolt of Man (1883) iii. 72 It was a hard face even when she smiled. 1940 T. Wolfe & E. Aswell You can't go Home Again i. 14 Her mouth was hard and vulgar. 1960 R. F. C. Hull tr. C. J. Jung Struct. & Dynamics Psyche 397 Older women develop..incipient moustaches, rather hard features and other masculine traits. 2010 Oklahoman (Nexis) 26 Dec. 1 a The cowboy's hard good looks were matched..by a boiling temper. c. Of alcoholic drink: harsh or sharp to the taste; acidic; sour. Now chiefly of wine: having an astringent quality, typically due to a high tannin content. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > types or qualities of intoxicating liquor > [adjective] > rough or acid rough?1440 hard1572 hungry1577 acid1998 1572 J. Higgins Huloets Dict. (rev. ed.) Hard wyne, Vinum asperum. Vin rude, degouteux. 1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. ii. sig. K2^v Neyther harde Wine [Fr. le vin rude] is pleasaunte to the taste, neither haughtie behauiour acceptable in companie. 1608 T. Dekker Belman of London (new ed.) sig. I^v The Iumper..finds fault with the wine, saying tis too hard, but rose-water and suger wold send it downe merrily. 1671 J. Baltharpe Straights Voy. 32 The Wine was hard and very bad. 1752 Ess. Sugar 14 Malt liquors become hard, Wine loses its Taste and Odour, and Spirits their Strength. 1784 in J. Cook Voy. Pacific Ocean I. ii. 19 (note) They now gather the grapes when green, and make a dry hard wine of them. 1833 Drakard's Stamford News 1 Oct. To prevent beer from getting acetous, or what is called hard. 1867 T. Miller My Father's Garden xxvi. 267 The beer was hard, the cheese harder, the bread stale. 1902 Eng. Dial. Dict. III. 56/2 [South Lincs.] The aäle's gone that hard the men saä' they weänt drink eny moore on it. 1975 P. V. Price Taste of Wine iii. 20/1 Too high in elements that make the wine hard, astringent and generally unpalatable. 2008 C. Coates Wines of Burgundy (new ed.) 222/2 Casks were of poor quality and the wine was hard and rustic. d. Of a shadow, outline, etc.: sharp, well-defined. ΚΠ 1652 Bk. Drawing 40 For darke and hard shadows in many pictures, use Lake and Pinke mixt with Umber. 1796 ‘A. Pasquin’ Crit. Guide Exhib. Royal Acad. 15 There is the same hard outline, as usual; the same want of delicacy of tone. 1857 N. Hawthorne Jrnl. 11 Apr. in Eng. Notebks. (1997) II. v. 187 A generally hard outline of country. 1889 J. C. Van Dyke How to judge of Picture iii. 47 You will perhaps be startled by the hard, almost black, shadows cast by the various objects in the landscape. 1957 T. L. J. Bentley Man. Miniature Camera (ed. 5) vi. 82 The sharpness of the edge of hard lines is now becoming known by such terms as ‘acutance’. 1979 SLR Camera Jan. 59/1 In the case of B and W film..gradation is described as being hard [if it has few tones]. 2012 N. Beauman Teleportation Accident (2013) v. 195 The laboratories and libraries and lecture theatres—delineated with the clarity of architectural drawings under the noon sun by the hard black shadows of their own cornices and pilasters. e. Of light: bright, glaring; that casts strong, well-defined shadows. Also (chiefly Cinematography and Video Recording): designating a light source, originally esp. a carbon arc light, which produces such light; usually in plural. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > light > intensity of light > [adjective] > bright shininga900 lighteOE lightlyOE sheenOE torhtOE shirea1000 steepa1000 shimmeringc1000 brightOE strongOE clear1297 fair?a1300 bright-shininga1387 merrya1393 skirea1400 lucident14.. shimc1400 staringc1400 luculentc1420 splendent1474 illuminousc1485 lucentc1500 bloominga1522 sheer1565 prelucent1568 faculent1575 splendant1578 lucid1591 neat1591 shine1596 translucent1596 well-lighted1606 nitid1615 lucible1623 dilucid1653 translucid1657 hard1660 1660 Whole Art of Drawing 17 You must with India-Lake mark out where and in what places you will have these strong and hard Lights and Reflections to fall. 1836 G. P. R. James Desultory Man II. 205 Sweet to Hope's ecstatic sight Come future dreams that day's hard light Had banished from the globe. 1862 R. H. Davis Margret Howth i. 28 To-morrow, when the hard daylight should jeer away the screening shadows, it would unbare a desolate, shabby home. 1907 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (ed. 6) 116 The lights being hard and the shadows dense. 1922 Harper's Mag. June 46/1 Mr. Dainopoulos hurried forward and soon left the region of hard arc lights behind. 1926 Ann. Amer. Acad. Polit. & Social Sci. 128 38/1 Lighting equipment used in the studio falls into two groups—‘hard’ lights and ‘soft’ lights. Hard lights are those which employ carbon arcs... Types of hard lights include baby spot and spot lights. 1949 Pop. Photogr. Nov. 59 Remembering that soft lighting emphasizes mass and that hard lighting accents line will help immeasurably. 2007 S. Richter & J. Ozer Hands-on Guide Flash Video iv. 29 Hard lights..create significant contrast between the lighter and darker regions in the image..and lots of lines and other detail. 18. Phonetics. a. Designating voiceless consonants as opposed to corresponding voiced ones, e.g. /k/, /t/, /p/ as opposed to /ɡ/, /d/, /b/. Contrasted with soft adj. 24c. ΚΠ 1649 C. Raue Disc. Orientall Tongues (new ed.) 161 The hard s, which followes, is of an acute sound, and for the most part with the vowels, a, e, i, o, u. 1846 J. E. Worcester Universal Dict. Eng. Lang. Introd. 19 Th..has two sounds; one, hard, sharp, or aspirate, as in thin..the other flat, soft, or vocal, as in..then, breathe. 1877 T. L. Papillon Man. Compar. Philol. (ed. 2) iii. 32 Consonants..a. Tenues..also called ‘sharp’, ‘hard’, ‘surd’. 1912 Stud. Philol. 9 p. x The use of Norman signs for Engl. sounds: c for ts, as in bletsian, and sc for hard s as in blisce. 1985 Lang. in Soc. 14 465 A subscribed dot is frequently used as a ‘hardener’... Under a possibly ambiguous ‘th’, it indicates a hard ‘th’. 2008 Church Times 28 Nov. 19/2 The Thandanani Children's Foundation (the name, pronounced with a hard ‘t’ at the beginning, means ‘Love one another’ in Zulu) has 2050 orphans on its books. b. Designating the letters c and g, when pronounced (esp. in English) as the velar plosives /k/ and /ɡ/, as opposed to /s/ and /dʒ/. Contrasted with soft adj. 24d. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > consonant > [adjective] > others harda1722 lunar1776 solar1776 cerebral1816 emphatic1855 mobile1861 vocular1884 movable1933 pre-final1934 prenasalized1937 mellow1956 1673 T. Lye Reading & spelling Eng. made Easie iv. 8 G before a, o, u, sounds hard, like ghee, with an aspiration. a1722 J. Toland Coll. Several Pieces (1726) I. 220 Ga, go, gu, hard; Ge, gi soft. 1775 J. Walker Dict. Eng. Lang. Introd. 13 Shewing that the preceding c and g in these words are soft, which might possibly be mistaken, and pronounced hard, if written changable, peacable. 1800 G. Gilchrist Anti-jargonist p xliii The scholar must often articulate gh, kh, q, like our simple hard g, and k, until he acquires the true sounds of these Arabian characters. 1846 J. E. Worcester Universal Dict. Eng. Lang. Introd. 15 G before e, i, and y, is sometimes hard and sometimes soft. 1883 Bulletin (Sydney) 7 July 6/3 They have their ancient jins with them. We spell it with a j, because the English people have got into the habit of pronouncing them with a hard g. 1912 J. O. Wilson & E. A. Winship Merrill Intermediate Speller (1918) 22 In cottage we have the sound of hard c; and in pencil we have the soft c. 1977 S. L. Kirchner Signs for all Seasons 45 The speech sounds that are homophenous (look alike) are: f, v, ph, m, b, p,..hard c, hard g. 2003 N.Y. Times Mag. 4 May 20/2 Vietnam veterans will recall a term for the intentional killing of a fellow servicemember: fragging (pronounced with a hard g), more recently called fragicide (soft g). 19. Of water: containing relatively high concentrations of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts which decompose soap and make lathering difficult, and also make the water more likely to produce deposits of scale. Frequently in hard water (also attributive). Contrasted with soft adj. 25. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > liquid > water > [adjective] > properties or characteristics of water > containing mineral hard1660 1660 F. Brooke tr. V. Le Blanc World Surveyed 18 The water was sharp and hard [Fr. aspre], but nothing brackish. 1686 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Staffs. ix. 356 Esteemed but a lean hard water. 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters i. 83 Hard waters are the best for builders and plasterers. 1776 W. Reddington Pract. Treat. Brewing (ed. 3) ii. 20 A second reason why soft Water is to be preferred, is, that it more readily purges itself than hard Water. 1805 W. Saunders Treat. Mineral Waters (ed. 2) 305 A very hard water, curdling soap, and possessing a large portion of selenite and earthy carbonats. 1849 R. T. Claridge Cold-water Cure (1869) 85 Hard water makes the skin rough, but soft water, on the contrary, renders it smooth. 1959 Design Oct. 59/2 The heater is easy to keep clean, and descale where the water is hard. 1981 J. Halliday & J. Halliday in K. Thear & A. Fraser Compl. Bk. Livestock & Poultry (1988) iv. 95/2 For preference, use rain water as hard tap water may cause urinary calculi and consequent urethral blockage. 2004 P. Hymers New Home Builder x. 189 The electronic scale-reducers on the market..effectively stop limescale from building up but still leave the water hard. IV. Forceful, powerful; strict, intense, uncompromising. 20. Intense in force or degree; strong, deep, profound. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adjective] hardOE heavyc1000 highOE highlyOE stourc1275 largec1330 intensec1400 violent1430 profoundc1450 vehementc1485 intensive1526 advanceda1533 vengeable1532 Herculean1602 well-advanced1602 deep1605 dense1732 abysmal1817 intensitive1835 holy1837 high-level1860 major1942 OE Blickling Homilies 59 Se lichoma þonne on þone heardestan stenc & on þone fulostan bið gecyrred. OE Homily (Hatton 113) in A. S. Napier Wulfstan (1883) 139 Ne byð þær nan stefn gehyred, buton stearc and heard wop and wanung for wohdædum. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Tale (Ellesmere) (1875) l. 873 Good hope crepeth in oure herte Supposynge though we sore smerte To be releeued by hym afterward Swich supposyng and hope is sharpe and hard. a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xxi. 203 (MED) Into the harde wawes Of the Se That Schipe was keuered ful Certeinle. 1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xiv. 323 Thei fell in to so harde a slepe that thei forgate richard. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Gen. ii. D The Lorde God caused an herde slepe to fall vpon man. 1605 W. Camden Remaines 175 He might seeme to be in some hard distresse. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. iii. 147/2 Indicoe, an hard, deep, or Black Blew. 1736 N. Bailey et al. Dictionarium Britannicum (ed. 2) at Groan To fetch deep, hard and loud sighs. 1792 T. Kirkland Comm. Apoplectic & Paralytic Affections i. 41 He fell down, and a hard sleep followed. 1807 Z. M. Pike Acct. Exped. Sources Mississippi (1810) 30 Passed some large islands and remarkably hard ripples. 1862 ‘M. Harland’ Miriam xxv. 421 So I squeezed in, sir, and there lay Miss Mir’um, in a desperate hard faint. 1926 Boys' Life May 17/3 He had experienced a hard shock that morning as Lachlan told him about Powers. 2001 This is Bradford (Nexis) 2 Nov. Now, please excuse me whilst I take a long, hard yawn. 21. a. Modifying a noun of action: performed with great force, exertion, or persistence; involving great labour or effort; vehement, vigorous, violent. Also: performed recklessly or to excess; esp. in hard drinking. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective] hardOE strenuous1671 rough1717 arduous1753 stiff1862 effortful1900 driven1967 OE Beowulf (2008) 576 No ic on niht gefrægn..heardran feohtan. OE Exodus 327 Þraca [read þracu] wæs on ore, heard handplega. a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 1229 (MED) Harde boffetes hi him ȝeue vnder his eyþer ere. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 5527 Wit herd werckes þai held þam in. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xxiv. 446 Ffull harde and felon was the bateile ther. 1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. lxxxvii^v A sore conflict and an hard encountre. 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 iv. iii. 25 Their courage with hard labour tame and dull. View more context for this quotation 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Malmené,..imbossed, or almost spent, as a Deere by hard pursuit. 1630 P. Massinger Picture sig. F3^v A dayes hard riding. 1683 London Gaz. No. 1868/3 The Cavalry made hard shift to get Forage, many Horses dying for want thereof. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iii. iv. 49 I had obtained by hard Study a good degree of Knowledge. 1782 J. Boswell Jrnl. 18 Apr. in Edinb. Jrnls. 1767–86 (2001) xiv. 457 Got into good spirits, imagining not virus but only gleet from hard drinking of punch. 1859 Eclectic Rev. Jan. 104 By dint of hard cramming..he finds himself in the first class in the matriculation list. 1884 I. Bligh in James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Ann. i. ii. 3 A fine specimen of hard hitting. 1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert i. 2 The present owner..had by no means inherited the tastes of a long line of Northumbrian ancestors for hard living and hard drinking. 1944 Air News Yearbk. II. 18 There is long, hard planning, endless training, repeated dry runs..behind undertakings of this magnitude. 1983 Buck & Hickman Catal. 1983–5 462 Unlike conventional percussion drills which start with a hard kick, the powermatic makes sure of a smooth start even at the highest speed setting. 2013 Teddy Bear Times Apr. 42/3 I know just how much hard work goes into their creation and Marilyn does it so perfectly. b. Modifying an agent noun: that performs the specified action with great force, exertion, or persistence; unremitting; diligent. Also: that performs the specified action recklessly or to excess; esp. in hard drinker. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > perseverance or persistence > [adjective] unwearyc893 unwearieda1240 perseverant1340 continuing1393 persevering?a1425 importunate1477 infatigable?1510 unfatigablec1550 persisting1552 unweariable1561 holdfast1567 indefatigable1586 patient1590 faintless1593 untired1597 untired1600 assidual1605 unrelenting1606 persistive1609 unwearyinga1614 hard1615 indefesse1621 constant1639 assiduous1660 dogged1700 unremitting1730 inexhaustible1762 unremitted1774 untiring1823 persistent1830 sleuth1864 tug-like1890 the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective] > acting with exertion hard1615 1615 T. Jackson Justifying Faith 41 Intention of minde (as hard students know) much weakens the digestiue faculty. 1679 Tryal of Philip Earl of Pembroke & Montgomery 20 He had been a very hard Drinker of Wine,..which had (he believed) caused a Stagnation of Bloud in his Body. 1747 tr. J. B. Le Blanc Lett. Eng. & French Nations I. 327 The Goths..are said to have been hard-drinkers. 1792 R. Heron tr. J.-F. Marmontel in tr. New Coll. Moral Tales III. 41 I know very well that you are a hard worker, and very useful to your father. 1813 Examiner 24 May 326/1 For him..and others who were hard labourers. 1859 C. Kingsley Misc. (1860) I. 151 The hardest rider for many a mile round. 1899 N.Y. Med. Jrnl. 16 Dec. 890 The gentleman had never had syphilis, was not a hard smoker, and was very temperate in drink. 1926 M. M. Knowles Meg of Minadong 10 Their ‘old man’ had been..a hard grafter. 1939 F. Thompson Lark Rise iii. 56 ‘Hard liver, hard worker’ was a sound old country maxim, and the labouring man did well to follow it. 2013 Cape Times (Nexis) 6 Dec. 13 A hard partier in her own youth, Isabelle's mother..has the toughest time coming to terms with her daughter's choices. 22. Strict, rigorous, uncompromising. a. Of a business transaction or negotiation: strict, exact; allowing no compromise or concession; (of an opinion, policy, etc.) uncompromising; inflexible. Cf. hard bargain n. 2, hard line n. 2.In early use with implication of short measure. ΘΚΠ society > authority > strictness > [adjective] cruelc1230 straitc1430 closea1466 district1526 hard1577 obstrictc1600 strict1603 restricta1617 uninclining1794 tight1872 headmistressy1972 1577 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Islande Brit. ii. xi. f. 86/2, in R. Holinshed Chron. I If they sell any [corne] at home, beside harder measure, it shal be dearer to the poore man by two pence or a groate in a bushell then they maye sell it in the market. 1647 N. Ward Simple Cobler Aggawam (ed. 4) 30 They never complain of me for giving them hard measure, or under-weight. 1810 J. Porter Sc. Chiefs III. ii. 37 These severities are not to be laid to my account. They are the hard policy of governor Cressingham. 1887 R. Garnett Life Carlyle viii. 135 She almost invariably took a hard view of persons and things. 1906 Law Rep.: Indian Appeals 33 120 The Subordinate Judge..decided to interfere in the enforcement of the hard terms of the contract. 1947 Forum (S. Afr.) 24 May 4/3 It was certain that some hard bargaining had taken place in that upstairs conference room, political horsetrading at which South Africa's politicians are adept. 2012 Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent) (Nexis) 18 Oct. 25 The youngster drove a hard deal—it's not often you see an antiques expert held in a half nelson. b. Of an examination, analysis, etc.: rigorous, stringent; that does not evade or ignore potential problems. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [adjective] > strict, rigorous just1490 nicea1522 point-devicea1529 exact1533 narrow1551 rigorousa1564 point-vice1574 curious1614 rigid?1626 hard1690 strict1749 deadly1909 1690 H. Maurice Remarks from Country 10 The Trojan Horse may now enter in with all that he has in his Belly, without any hard Examination that may discover a Conspiracy. 1800 Gentleman's Mag. Mar. 289/2 Hard investigation may trace out partial relief in particular cases. 1862 Blackwood's Mag. Jan. 57/1 Turning her face with a sense of relief from the hard inspection of the children to their little guardian. 1919 Court Appeals State N.Y. 361 The more you dig into the truth in this case.., the better we will be pleased for a complete, hard analysis of the facts. 1970 Kiplinger Mag. Mar. 39/2 Some hard investigation is prescribed before you sign up. 1999 Gair Rhydd 15 Mar. 8/5 Every public institution needs to take a long hard look at their practices. 2009 J. S. Dumas & J. E. Fox in A. Sears & J. A. Jacko Human–Computer Interaction xii. 243/1 The product is getting an unfairly hard evaluation. c. Politics. Designating an extreme, dogmatic, or hardline faction within a political party or the political spectrum, esp. in hard left, hard right. Cf. hard line adj.Opposed to soft adj. 21c.With quot. 1906, cf. hardshell n. 2b. ΘΚΠ society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > groups or attitudes right to left > [adjective] > extreme high?1535 ultra1820 hard right1846 straight1856 extremist1907 extremistic1921 loony1977 society > authority > rule or government > politics > party politics > groups or attitudes right to left > [noun] > extremism > extremist > extremist faction hard right1846 1846 A. Vieusseux Hist. Switzerland v. 213 A general reaction then took place against the hard faction. 1906 T. C. Smith Amer. Nation XVIII. vii. 104 The willingness of the ‘Hard’ faction of New York Democrats to harass the president caused this apparent defeat. 1947 Business Week 1 Nov. 100/2 It is alarming to see France split into hard-right and hard-left blocs. This could end in a conflict that would smother the Marshall Plan. 1960 Times 20 June 10/2 He has support from the hard left-wing forces that could threaten the present milder left-wing government. 1999 Washington Times (Nexis) 14 Jan. a17 Hard socialism posited a ‘new socialist man’, but had to fall back on coercion and terror to motivate actual workers. 2003 New Republic 21 July 6/3 So far, the United States has avoided acting like an empire in post-cold-war Africa, and, thus, the hard left has found little cause for moral concern. d. Law (esp. International Law). Designating a law which is binding and contains legally enforceable rights and obligations, as hard law, hard provision, etc. ΘΚΠ society > law > [adjective] > various epithets applied to laws vagabondc1485 strait1503 strict1578 unrelaxable1615 sanguinary1625 standard1660 formal1701 supplementary1714 eludible1735 organic1831 antinomic1849 loopy1856 antinomical1877 contravenable1880 violable1885 nexal1886 entrenched1920 hard1935 society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > [adjective] fastOE faithfula1500 obligatory1502 obligatoriousa1555 astrictivea1575 bounded1586 debt-bound1588 obliged1594 obligative1596 Stygian1608 obligator1609 binding1611 imperative1621 obligant1624 ligatory1625 obliging1638 obstrictive1642 boundant1649 self-binding1685 hard1935 1935 Amer. Jrnl. Internat. Law 29 231 It is peculiarly the genius of international justice that it leans against hard law and favours benignoir solutions. 1965 Internat. Organization 19 555 The formulation of ‘hard’ law (treaty) has been set aside in favor of ‘soft’ law (resolution or declaration). 1985 Review (Fernand Braudel Centre) 9 116 An effective international political regulation of these complex relations would..have to be..backed by hard legal instruments. 2014 R. Sharma Teach Woman to Fish xiv. 65 Our government has been giving a nod to labor and environmental concerns in trade agreements, but it has not established hard provisions. 23. Very powerful or potent. a. colloquial (originally U.S.). Of a drink: alcoholic. Also of alcoholic drink: strong, potent, ‘stiff’; esp. designating spirits as opposed to wine or beer. Often contrasted with soft adj. 28a.hard cider, hard stuff: see Compounds 4. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > types or qualities of intoxicating liquor > [adjective] > strong strongeOE stalec1300 mainc1400 nappyc1460 starkc1485 nase?1536 huff-cap1599 nippitatum1600 intoxicating1604 inebriating1610 distempering1613–18 inebriative1615 toxing1635 hogen mogen1653 napping1654 humming1675 hard1700 inebriousa1704 ebrietating1711 bead-proof1753 steeve1801 high-proof1810 pithy1812 stiff1813 inebriant1828 reverent1837 a little more north1864 ebriating1872 rorty1950 1700 T. Tryon Lett., Domestick & Foreign xxxiv. 212 Strong and spirituous hard Drinks..produce the like Effects in colder Climates, tho' not to the same degree. 1810 M. L. Weems Let. in Ford's M. L. Weems: Wks & Ways (1929) III. 13 What could possibly have kept me from hard drink? 1879 Boston Trav. 20 Sept. Before the court..for selling hard liquor, when he had only a licence for selling ale. 1922 Field & Stream Oct. 66/1 One could even take a drink of hard liquor whenever he desired, so long as he did not take too much. 1964 C. Willock Enormous Zoo ix. 169 With a hard drink in the hand the day lengthens and softens. 2005 P. D. Alexander Next Rainy Day 77 Glenda said, ‘Can I get you two some coffee, a soft drink?’ Barry chimed in, ‘Or something harder.’ b. Physics. Of electromagnetic radiation: having great penetrating power (typically a result of a shorter wavelength). ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > radioactivity > gamma radiation > [adjective] penetrating1898 hard1902 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVIII. 52/2 If the exhaustion of the bulb is carried further..the Röntgen rays have much greater penetrating power and are often called ‘hard rays’. 1940 Nature 8 June 903/2 (title) Absorption of hard cosmic rays and mesotron decay. 1968 Sci. Jrnl. Nov. 44/2 This can be manifested as a ‘micro-explosion’ which will be a good source of both fast neutrons and hard x-rays. 2006 F. Wilczek Fantastic Realities 412 If there is no hard radiation, then the effect of soft radiation will be to convert the quark into a spray of hadrons. c. Of a recreational drug: particularly harmful or addictive. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > an intoxicating drug > [adjective] > addictive addictive1891 addicting1931 hard1950 1950 J. Lait & L. Mortimer Chicago: Confidential i. iv. 52 On 47th Street you can buy anything: reefers, ‘hard’ dope,..trick knives, and women. 1985 I. Gitler Swing to Bop (1987) vii. 275 The hard drug epidemic among the modern jazz musicians had its beginning during World War II. 2009 Observer 6 Sept. 6/2 A line is drawn between marijuana and hard drugs. d. Of a detergent, pesticide, etc.: poorly biodegradable; (more generally) relatively persistent in or harmful to the environment. Contrasted with soft adj. 34a. ΚΠ 1958 Sewage & Industr. Wastes 30 760/2 The former are referred to as biologically ‘soft’ and the latter as biologically ‘hard’ materials, soft meaning easily assimilated and hard the opposite. 1961 New Scientist 10 Aug. 323/2 The complete substitution of soft for hard detergent on a national scale would result in a reduction of the measured detergent in sewage effluents. 1969 Oakland (Calif.) Post 20 Nov. 17 The fish-feeding grebes, scientifically used as a natural indicator of the concentration of the hard pesticide, did not show an reproductive increase until the last three years. 1990 R.M. Silverstein in R. L. Ridgway Behavior-modifying Chemicals for Insect Managem. 3 They acknowledged the problems of involving industry and of persuading regulatory agencies that pheromones are not synonymous with hard insecticides. 2006 M. H. Gerardi Wastewater Bacteria 203 Significant impacts of hard surfactants are undesired foaming and destruction of bacteria, protozoa, and metazoa. e. Of pornography: very explicit or extreme; = hardcore adj. 2. ΚΠ 1961 R. Kyle-Keith High Price Pornogr. vii. 112 As long as they work through the law to rid their communities of ‘hard pornography’ no damage is done. 1971 Hansard Lords 21 Apr. 643 I [sc. Lord Longford] hold in my hand a piece of hard ‘porn’..: are we going to allow this sort of sadistic filth to be published and distributed freely? 1991 Outrage Feb. 45/2 It is not a hard action scene, there is no penetration, it is an intensively erotic fantasy. 2003 Times 9 Aug. 20/1 A group that the bishop-elect founded to help sexually confused young people had a website that was a click away from hard porn. 24. Originally and chiefly U.S. Of a bend or turn: characterized by or involving a (sudden) marked change of direction; tight, sharp, abrupt. ΚΠ 1870 W. M. Roberts Surv. Ohio River (1871) 107 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (41st Congr., 3rd Sess.: House of Representatives Exec. Doc. 72) VIII Sugar Creek Bend, five hundred and eighteen miles from Pittsburg.—At 518 to 520 miles hard bend in river to right; narrow but deep. 1915 B. Elliot Farm Power Cycl. ii. xxxv. 177 In making a hard turn, especially, go slow. 1942 Life 26 Oct. 116/2 I barely had time to give a hard left and a hard right and we went scooting past each other. 1976 Cruising World Sept. 56/1 Harris prefers the double ended hullform, feeling that it..allows a more homogeneous structure with fewer hard turns. 2011 R. Hansen Wild Surge of Guilty Pleasure 164 He swerved a hard right toward the one-car garage and banged into the curb. 25. Physics. Of a vacuum: containing very little air or gas; almost complete; (of a vacuum tube or thermionic valve) containing such a vacuum; chiefly in hard vacuum.See also hard tube n., hard valve n. at Compounds 4. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > gas > air > [adjective] > under pressure > in which a vacuum has been produced > complete or incomplete vacuum hard1898 rough1900 1898 Science 22 Apr. 565/1 Professor Röntgen has made..a third communication on the X-rays... The same body has different transparencies with different tubes, ‘soft tubes’ being those requiring a small potential and ‘hard tubes’ those requiring a high one. 1931 R. L. Duncan & C. E. Drew Radio Telegr. & Telephony (ed. 2) 214 The degree of vacuum in the tube would change and some tubes became soft (having less vacuum) while others became hard (having a higher vacuum, with little or no gas present). 1945 Astounding Sci.-Fiction May 9/2 A ship traveling on overdrive—above the speed of light—does not want to hit even a merely hard vacuum. 1981 V. N. McIntyre Entropy Effect vii. 182 This felt as if he were falling through space, through hard vacuum, buffeted by every eddy of the solar wind. 2007 Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gaz. (Nexis) 25 Oct. f7 Humans face many hazards while living and working in the dangerous and unforgiving environment of space. Some of the hazards are obvious: hard vacuum, extreme cold and radiation from the sun. 26. U.S. slang (originally and chiefly in African-American use). Excellent, impressive; stylish, fashionable. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > fashionableness > [adjective] in (also into) request?1574 bonfacion1584 fashional?1607 of request1613 fashionablea1627 à la mode1642 all the mode1651 modish1661 in mode1664 timeish1676 of vogue1678 voguea1695 mody1701 alamodic1753 much the mode1767 tonish1778 go1784 stylish1800 bang-up1810 tippy1810 varmint1823 up to the knocker1844 gyvera1866 OK1869 fly1879 swagger1879 doggy1885 faddy1885 fantoosh1920 voguish1927 voguey1928 à la page1930 go1937 hard1938 hip1939 down1952 swinging1958 a-go-go1960 way-in1960 yé-yé1960 trendy1962 with-it1962 go-go1963 happening1965 mod1965 funky1967 together1968 fash1977 cred1987 1938 C. Calloway Cab Calloway's Cat-ologue Hard, fine or good. 1939 C. Calloway New Cab Calloway's Cat-ologue (at cited word) That's a hard tie you're wearing. 1944 D. Burley Orig. Handbk. Harlem Jive 130 Solid! Man, Solid! Yo' sure layin' some hard jive. 1974 B. Jackson Get your Ass in Water 90 I always featured a pad as hard as this. 1997 J. A. Sanders Da Bomb (Calif. State Polytechnic Univ., Pomona) (Summer Suppl.) 7 That song by 2pac is hard. 27. a. Designating a particularly uncompromising, extreme, or experimental version of any of various types of popular music, as distinct from more mainstream forms. Cf. hardcore adj. 3. See also hard bop n. at Compounds 4, and hard rock n.² ΚΠ 1947 Billboard 20 Dec. 39/1 The distinctive part of this [performance]..is the toning down of Charley Barnet's hard jazz. 1975 Winnipeg Free Press 3 Sept. 28/6 Somewhere between the hard funk of the discos and the really pretty, sweet sound of Barry White. 1997 M. Groening et al. Simpsons: Compl. Guide 22/2 She finds a soulful saxophone player, Bleeding Gums Murphy, playing some hard blues. 2006 N.Y. Times 29 Dec. e24/1 Hard funk is easily within her grasp, as is folk-rock, soft soul and several kinds of jazz. b. spec. In the names of various subgenres of electronic dance music characterized by faster tempos and stronger bass lines and beats than related forms, as hard house, hard trance, etc.See also hardbag n., hardstep n. at Compounds 4. ΚΠ 1989 Blues & Soul 11 July 44/2 Music format is heavy newbeat and hard house. 1997 Independent on Sunday 9 Feb. (Real Life section) 3/3 We go to squat raves where they play hard techno, gabba..and breakcore. 2007 Guardian 26 May (Guide Suppl.) 27/1 Hard house, hard trance, bounce and hard dance from DJs Jackie B, Trilby, Daryl Yare and Craig Randall. B. n. 1. a. That which is hard (in various senses); spec. hardship, hard times. Also: something which is hard; a hard thing, experience, etc. See also Phrases 2c.In early use frequently in conjunction with nesh, esp. in hard nor (also or, etc.) nesh: any (or all) circumstances; cf. in nesh and hard at nesh n. c, for nesh or hard at nesh n. d.In Old English and early Middle English also in partitive genitive singular, usually as postmodifier. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > [noun] > hardship hardeOE grief?c1225 nowcinc1225 sharpship?c1225 straitnessa1340 necessityc1390 hardlaikc1540 hardshipc1540 disage1607 rough1615 rigour1632 erumny1657 strait1837 sufferation1976 eOE Metrical Dialogue of Solomon & Saturn (Corpus Cambr. 422) ii. 287 Him on hand gæð heardes and hnesces. OE tr. Medicina de Quadrupedibus (Vitell.) xii. 268 Wið ælce heardnysse, fearres smeru mylt..& lege on; ealle þa sar & þæt hearde [L. duritiam] hyt geliðigað. OE Handbk. for Use of Confessor (Corpus Cambr. 201) in Anglia (1965) 83 18 Æghwæt hnesces oððe heardes, wætes oððe driges. OE tr. Chrodegang of Metz Regula Canonicorum (Corpus Cambr. 191) lx. 295 Efne nu þu blac list..ne gefelst þu god ne yfel, ne heard ne hnesce [L. non dura, non mollia sentis]. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3734 O þatt hallf þatt he wass mann Mann mihhte himm fon. & pinenn. Wiþþ hat. & kald. wiþþ nesshe. & harrd. c1225 (?c1200) Sawles Warde (Bodl.) (1938) 20 Moni, for to muchel heard of wa þet he dreheð, forȝet ure lauerd..bituhhen heard & nesche, bituhhe wa of þis world ant to muche wunne..is in euch worldlich þing þe middel wei ȝuldene..hwet se beo of heardes ne drede ich nawiht. c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 459 Ne recche ich noȝt of winteres reue [printed rene]; Wan ich iso þat cumeþ þat harde, Ich fare hom to min erde. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 472 But ȝif myn hauteyn hert þe harde a-sente. c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 4572 (MED) Þe Sarzyns armede hem on euery syde, Boþe with scharp & hard. c1400 (?c1380) Pearl 606 Queþer-so-euer he dele nesch oþer harde. a1450 Rule St. Benet (Vesp.) (1902) l. 873 (MED) Wend þou not, for hard ne nesch, Efter þe ȝarnynges of þi flesch. a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sloane) (1862) 33 (MED) Feyre hony do into hit To þo hony stonde over þo flesshe Too fyngurs thyke for harde or nesshe. c1500 (?a1475) St. Margaret (Ashm.) l. 263 in C. Horstmann Altengl. Legenden (1881) 2nd Ser. 238 (MED) Iff þe hope wer of my flessche To do þi wyll both herd [v.r. arde] & nessche, To-rente þe flessch fro þe bone! 1580 A. Fleming tr. F. Nausea Bright Burning Beacon xiii. sig. P.3^v Thou that hast power..to make that streight which is crooked, the hard soft, the rough smooth. 1624 ‘E. Orandus’ tr. Artephius in tr. N. Flamel Expos. Hieroglyphicall Figures St. Innocent's Church-yard 175 The hot is mixed with the cold, the dry with the moist, and the hard with the soft. 1767 W. Harte Amaranth 105 Where hot, and cold, the rough, and lenient fight, The hard, and soft, the heavy, and the light. 1795 A. Shirrefs Sale Catal. 3 A plain North-country bard, Who fain would cripple through the hard. 1807 New Encycl. XVI. 701/1 The hard and soft of the same quality are placed in different lots. 1866 R. Leighton Poems 38 They little hand..has no feel of this world's hardening work, And emblems thy young soul, which bears not yet The hards of earth upon it. 1976 W. W. Warner Beautiful Swimmers vi. 136 Crabs will be generally scarce... Prices for both hards and softs will run very high. 2006 T. W. Reeser Moderating Masculinity Early Mod. Culture 54 Aristotle upsets the binary opposition between the ‘hard’ and the ‘soft’ through his emphasis on moderation or the mean state of courage. b. The hard part of something, esp. of the hand or foot. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [noun] > hard substance or thing > the hard part harda1400 a1400 Siege Jerusalem (Laud) (1932) l. 812 (MED) Waspacian wounded was þer..Þrow þe hard of þe hele. tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) viii. l. 135 Of squyllis whyte, alraw, taak of the hardis. ?a1500 Nominale (Yale Beinecke 594) in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 752/22 (MED) Hic callus, Hec planta, the harde of the fothe. 1958 R. Dohrman Cross Baron Samedi iii. 163 Andy LeGrand..has Job's patience with men he would gladly give the hard of his hand to if he had them back home. 1962 London Mag. Sept. 7 He was hitting the hard of his palm with the hammer. 2. Hard, firm, or dry ground; an area of hard or harder ground; (also) a shelf or bank (bank n.¹ 4) in a river. In later use chiefly (in the Fenlands of eastern England): an area of dry ground within or bordering a marsh or fen; usually in plural. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > ground > [noun] > hard hard?c1350 bone1864 ?c1350 Ballad Sc. Wars l. 151 in A. Brandl & O. Zippel Mitteleng. Sprach- u. Literaturproben (1917) 139 Wa bides him on hard and herch [read heech] Þat day sal deye and duelle in wa. 1576 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxf. (1880) 385 That hurst or bancke is of hard, and some gravell. 1629 H. C. Disc. Drayning Fennes sig. A3^v The Inhabitants upon the Hards, and the Bankes within the Fennes. 1642 A. Burrell Briefe Relation 15 To take up the Hards or Shoulds which are in the River Grant, betwixt Harimer and Cambridge, being Gravell, Sand, or Chalk,..is a work that must be performed by a water Engine. 1725 T. Badeslade Hist. Navigation King's-Lyn vi. 73 The Lord Chief justice Popham, in his Scheme for Draining, Anno 1605. provided against all Weers, Stamps, Hards. ?a1790 W. Elstobb Hist. Acct. Bedford Level (1793) 274 The said river was..made shallow by gravel and fords, called hards. 1860 Queen Victoria Leaves Jrnl. Life in Highlands 4 Sept. (1868) 191 We walked on a little way to where the valley and glen widen out, and where there is what they call here a green ‘hard’. 1881 Notes & Queries 9 July 38/1 The middle of a road is in this neighbourhood [sc. Lincoln] called ‘the hard’ to distinguish it from the sides, which are not stoned. 1895 P. H. Emerson Birds, Beasts, & Fishes Norfolk Broadland 215 The swan dearly loves a ‘hard’ covered with weed. 1903 Fenland Notes & Queries 5 165 It was not easy to keep the cattle off the King's Part, which consisted of 88 acres of the hards. 1956 G. E. Evans Ask Fellows who cut Hay (1962) xxi. 182 They knew the hards (fords) down the river. 1974 J. R. Ravensdale Liable to Floods ii. 68 Adequate permanent pastures on the hards near the village, where milking was convenient. 3. A firm beach or foreshore; (also) a sloping stone jetty; a wharf, a quay. Cf. hardway n. at Compounds 4.In Portsmouth, Hampshire: the name of a street adjoining the dockyard (also called the Common Hard). ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > berthing, mooring, or anchoring > harbour or port > [noun] > landing-place strand1205 arrivala1450 slip1467 pow1481 arrivagea1500 landing-place1512 shore1512 landing1601 scale1682 bunder1698 gat1723 hard1728 loadberry1764 hardway1785 the world > the earth > land > land mass > shore or bank > seashore or coast > [noun] > beach or foreshore > spec shingle1513 hard1728 shell beach1835 private beach1859 storm-beach1882 pocket beach1893 1728 E. Goodea Lease in Mariner's Mirror (1957) 43 297 Two Keys or Key hards lying between and also a Yard Key or Port late in the possession of Mary Barnardiston. 1785 W. Tracey Candid Narr. Operations to raise Royal George 4 Mr. Gilbert, Master-attendant, ordered me to take the Deligente from the Jetty in the Dockyard to the Moorings off the Common Hard. 1829 W. N. Glascock Sailors & Saints I. 193 I..was obligated, at last, to sell it to a Jew on the Hard, for a suit of mustering rigging. 1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xxiii. 224 The Common Hard, a dirty street leading down to the dockyard [in Portsmouth]. 1866 Daily Tel. 11 Jan. 4/4 The loves of the ‘Hard’ are proverbially of brief duration. 1886 R. C. Leslie Sea-painter's Log iv. 64 Well-known sheltered beaches, or ‘common hards’, as they were called. These hards still remain in old seaports. 1897 M. Pemberton in Windsor Mag. Jan. 268/1 I have started from the hard of the boathouse with fingers..benumbed. 1905 R. A. Freeman Golden Pool iv. 33 Half a dozen of the long flat-bottomed canoes..such as the natives use, were drawn up by the ‘hard’ or landing-place. 1987 World Mag. Oct. 63/2 The main street was wide enough to allow whole oaks to be rolled down to the ‘hard’ beside the River Beaulieu. 2009 D. Durham Peyton xi. 80 Shuttlewood's old boat-shed at the top of the hard was deserted, and there was nothing to do but lie on the lee side of the sea wall. 4. In plural. Hard compact coals of larger size; (formerly also) †pieces of slag, clinkers (obsolete). ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > coal or types of coal > [noun] coal1253 sea-coal1253 pit-coal1483 cannel1541 earth coala1552 horse coal1552 Newcastle coal1552 stone-coal1585 cannel coal1587 parrot1594 burn-coal1597 lithanthrax1612 stony coal1617 Welsh coala1618 land-coala1661 foot coal1665 peacock coal1686 rough coal1686 white coal1686 heathen-coalc1697 coal-stone1708 round1708 stone-coal1708 bench-coal1712 slipper coal1712 black coal1713 culm1742 rock coal1750 board coal1761 Bovey coal1761 house coal1784 mineral coal1785 splint1789 splint coal1789 jet coal1794 anthracite1797 wood-coal1799 blind-coal1802 black diamond1803 silk-coal1803 glance-coal1805 lignite1808 Welsh stone-coal1808 soft1811 spout coals1821 spouter1821 Wallsend1821 brown coal1833 paper coal1833 steam-coal1850 peat-coal1851 cherry-coal1853 household1854 sinter coal1854 oil coal1856 raker1857 Kilkenny coal1861 Pottery coal1867 silkstone1867 block coal1871 admiralty1877 rattlejack1877 bunker1883 fusain1883 smitham1883 bunker coal1885 triping1886 trolley coal1890 kibble1891 sea-borne1892 jet1893 steam1897 sack coal1898 Welsh1898 navigation coal1900 Coalite1906 clarain1919 durain1919 vitrain1919 single1921 kolm1930 hards1956 1835 J. Holland Hist. & Descr. Fossil Fuel, Collieries, & Coal Trade vii. 148 Fifty fathoms below the bottom..lies the Handsworth seam..exhibiting eight distinct laminae, technically known as tops, bright, best bright, top hards, dead bed, black hards, spire hards, and pricking coal. 1849 Farmer's Mag. July 21/2 We melted the bars occasionally in our grates; and when you have melted bars, you always get a quantity of what are called hards. 1956 F. S. Atkinson in D. L. Linton Sheffield 268 The ‘hards’ of the Barnsley seam and, to a lesser extent, of the Parkgate or Deep Hard, make an excellent locomotive coal. 2011 M. J. McGinty Life & Times Duke 38 When refuelling at Perth the kind of coal one could expect would be softer and smaller than the Welsh or the Yorkshire hards at Crewe. 5. U.S. Politics. Chiefly with capital initial. a. A conservative Democrat; = hardshell n. 2b. Now chiefly historical. ΘΚΠ society > authority > rule or government > politics > American politics > [noun] > Democratic Party > member or adherent of > of branch of loco-foco1835 loco1838 O.K.1840 hard1843 softshell1845 barn-burner1848 hardshell1852 soft1853 softshell1853 Bourbon1859 short-hairs1867 New Dem1962 Blue Dog1995 1843 J. S. Robb Streaks Squatter Life 91 Hards, softs, whigs and Tylerites were represented. 1888 J. Bryce Amer. Commonw. II. xlvi. 203 The Hunkers and Barnburners who divided the Democratic party forty years ago, and subsequently passed into the ‘Hards’ and the ‘Softs’, began in genuine differences of opinion about canal management and other State questions. 1976 N.Y. Hist. 57 478 The dispute between the Softs and Hards primarily revolved around attitudes towards the schismatics of 1848 and the distribution of patronage under President Franklin Pierce. 2005 New Republic (Nexis) 7 Feb. 4 From his point of view, Democrats are divided into ‘hards’ and ‘softs’—hards, of course, being good, and softs bad. b. In the 1840s and 1850s: a supporter of Senator Thomas Benton of Missouri. Now historical. [So called from Benton and his supporters' advocacy of hard currency as opposed to banknotes.] Sometimes overlapping with sense B. 5a. ΚΠ 1844 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 25 July The anticipated defeat of Col. Benton results from a broad division in the Loco ranks, growing out of pro and con. views respecting an exclusive metallic currency: one party is termed ‘Hards’, the other ‘Softs’. 1886 T. Roosevelt T. H. Benton (1899) xv. 303 Benton was such a firm believer in hard money..as to have received the nickname of ‘Old Bullion’, and his followers were called ‘hards’; his opponents were soft money men. 1949 Current Hist. 16 285/2 Neither Benton's ‘Hards’ not Atchison's ‘Softs’ had a legislative majority but the Whigs threw their support to the Softs. 2009 W. G. Piston & T. P. Sweeney Portraits of Conflict 36/2 Both [the Democratic and Whig parties] split in relation to bank policies..with State politicians aligning themselves with or against..Sen. Thomas Hart Benton, leader of the ‘Hards’. †6. In plural. An adulterant of bread consisting of alum and salt. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1851 Lancet 12 Apr. 421/2 The majority, however, make use of an article known in the trade as ‘hards’ and ‘stuff’. 1855 1st Rep. Select Comm. Adulteration of Food 2 in Parl. Papers 1854–5 (H.C. 432) VIII. 221 Bread is adulterated with mashed potatoes, alum, ‘hards’, and sometimes..with sulphate of copper. 1869 Pharmaceut. Jrnl. & Trans. Dec. 363 The use was admitted of a composition known as ‘hards’, and this was shown..to consist of equal parts of alum and salt. 7. slang. Tobacco prepared in the form of a cake or (occasionally) a twist, rather than loose fragments of leaf. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > use of drugs and poison > tobacco > [noun] > tobacco in a roll, cake, or stick cane-tobacco1600 pudding tobacco1601 roll1602 tobacco roll1602 canea1612 pudding-packa1618 prick1666 pigtail1681 nova1688 prick tobacco1688 plug1729 plug tobacco1788 twist1791 carrot1808 cavendish1839 nail-rod1848 hard1865 twist tobacco1894 1865 T. Archer Pauper, Thief & Convict v. 83 Peaceable companions..smoking pipefuls of ‘hard’ which they cut from a flat cake with their clasp-knives. 1898 G. Bartram White-headed Boy iv. 105 Lind me a hand..with this lump o' harrd. 1912 R. A. Freeman Singing Bone 180 It was not shag, for it consisted of coarsely-cut shreds and was nearly black. ‘Shavings from a cake of “hard”,’ was my verdict. 1937 ‘Red Collar Man’ Chokey 172 Articles are valued as worth so many inches of ‘hard’, which is twist or plug tobacco. 8. slang. (a) Short for hard labour n. at Compounds 4 (now historical). (b) U.S. Short for hard time n. at Compounds 4. ΘΚΠ society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > [noun] > with hard labour > hard labour hard labour1651 servitude1659 hard1887 1887 Fun 8 June 246/2 A canny Scot was recently sentenced to ten days' hard for shooting the crow—i.e. ordering half-a-quartern of whiskey, drinking it rapidly, and neglecting to pay. 1920 J. Castier Rather Like 287 I got three years hard for a forgery he was the actual author of. 1978 T. Stoppard Every Good Boy deserves Favour 31 I want to get back to the bad old times when a man got a sentence appropriate to his crimes—ten years' hard for a word out of place. 1981 T. Brenner & B. Nagler Only Ring was Square 111 He had been in numbers before doing four years hard for manslaughter. 2009 J. Arneberg Into Unseen Distance ii. 20 You're the judge that sentenced him to eight years hard for killing a drug addict and fornicator. 9. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). = hard-on n. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual activity > [noun] > erection elevation1543 erection1594 tentigoa1603 Jack1604 stand1608 surgation1688 cockstandc1890 hard-on1898 hard1927 boner1936 hard up1937 bone-on1969 morning-glory1985 1893 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang III. 269 Bit of hard, the penis in erection.] 1927 Immortalia 149 I thought his hard was on him. 1967 A. Wilson No Laughing Matter iii. 377 He pulled up her red woollen dress..but still no hard. 1992 A. Duff One Night out Stealing 152 A real looker. Enough to get a horny dude like Jube a hard on the spot. Phrases P1. to be hard on (also upon, in early use also †up). a. Of a person: to be harsh or severe in dealing with (someone). to be hard on oneself: to be severely or excessively critical of oneself or one's achievements. ΚΠ a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 1351 Hi..so hard vp þe were Þat a Paynym hi wolde deliuere þat of þeofþe ne miȝte him skere. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 8831 So hard he was vpe [a1400 Trin. Cambr. to] þeues þat hii ne durste nour at route. 1539 R. Taverner Second Bk. Garden of Wysdome sig. E.i^v He was not a litle touched w^t pytie and clemencie towardes Cresus, & sayed, he wolde not herafter shew himselfe to hard vpon Cresus. 1682 London Gaz. No. 1737/2 The French..are very hard upon the Tenants to make them pay their Rents, with all their Arrears. 1738 J. Swift Compl. Coll. Genteel Conversat. 19 Colonel, why so hard upon poor Miss? 1854 Christian Remembrancer 28 282 The impartiality..of the Dean, makes him..hard on those who..lay too great a stress on differences. 1872 Eccl. Observer Apr. 131 A Christian who has sinned ought to be hard on himself. 1952 J. D. Mackie Early Tudors xiii. 455 Thomas More, like other non-combatants, was very hard upon the soldier home from the wars. 2011 Church Times 21 Oct. 6/5 It distresses me to see so many women being hard on themselves, and on other women. b. Of circumstances or events: to be unpleasant or difficult for (someone), to be unfair to. [In quot. 1617 translating Aramaic hăwā qĕšē to be difficult (in Targum Onkelos, Exodus 2:23: wĕ 'it’annaḥū bĕnē yiśrā’ēl min pulḥānā dahăwā qĕšē ʿălēyhōn, lit. ‘and they oppressed the children of Israel with a servitude which was hard upon them’).] ΚΠ 1617 H. Ainsworth tr. in Annot. Second Bk. Moses, called Exodus sig. B1^v [The Chaldee addeth,]servitude which was hard upon them. 1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1763 I. 245 To be sure, bad weather is hard upon people who are obliged to be abroad. 1864 C. M. Yonge Trial I. vi. 113 It is hard on a man who has been at work all day to come home and find a dark house and nobody to speak to. 1912 Musical Standard 2 Nov. 278/1 Many folk..do not want to hear Wagner every Monday, and it is rather hard upon them that ten per cent..of the programmes should be thus specialized. 1946 S. J. Perelman Keep it Crisp 219 It's hard on us oldsters, but it isn't going to be easy for you, either. 2003 L. S. Cunningham Dreams of Rescue 222 It will be hard on him, I think, to hear his weaknesses..exposed in open court. c. Of an action, event, person, etc.: to cause (excessive) damage or wear to (something); to hurt or damage. ΚΠ 1831 M. Griffith Our Neighbourhood vi. 37 The droughts of summer and the frosts of winter are very hard on rootless plants. 1874 A. M. Diaz Lucy Maria xvi. 107 The mothers discussing their children..; which ones outgrew their clothes, which ones were hard on shoes, and which the contrary. 1910 Living Age 8 Jan. 83/2 This sort of thing pursued by candlelight is hard upon the eyes. 1969 Lebanon (Pa.) Daily News 24 Mar. 19/7 The course is very bumpy here and is very hard on the suspension systems. 2003 J. B. Hunsaker Seeing Elephant 45 This type of high protein diet..is very hard on the kidneys and often results in diarrhea. P2. Phrases formed on the noun, with the sense ‘difficulty, hardship, misfortune, etc.’. Cf. sense B. 1a. †a. of (also by, with) hard: with difficulty. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [phrase] > with difficulty of (also by, with) hardc1330 with needa1500 by (also with) the skin of one's teeth1560 the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > violently [phrase] of hardc1330 at (the) utterance1480 hip and thigh1560 with a vengeance1568 with a powderc1600 with a siserary1607 full fling1614 with the vengeance1693 like a thousand (also hundred) of brick(s)1836 c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 1726 (MED) Y com fram Lombardy, Of hard y-schaped for þe maistrie. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Eccles. i. 15 Peruertid men of hard ben amendid. a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) II. 100 Þes synneris bi hard ben turned to God. c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 3004 He with hard schapid. †b. at the hardest: at worst; at the least. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > greatly or very much [phrase] > in or to the greatest degree never solOE with (also mid) the mostc1275 for the masteryc1325 to the bestc1390 to the uttermostc1400 at the hardest1429 to the utmostc1450 to the skies (also sky)1559 at float1594 all to nothing1606 to the height1609 to the proofa1625 to the last degree1639 to the welkin?1746 (the) worst kind1839 for all it's worth1864 as —— as they make them?a1880 in the highest1897 to the nth (degree, power)1897 up to eleven1987 1429–30 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Sept. 1429 §18. m. 13 If þe pleine deliveraunce of þe seide Barbazan, myght pleinly quite out of prison þe seide lord Talbot, and seignur Wauter Hungreford þe yonger, or elles atte þe hardest þe seide Lord Talbot. ?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 81 (MED) Atte the hardest [Fr. au moins], for a while, thou wilt not goo ferre. 1548 F. Bryan tr. A. de Guevara Dispraise Life Courtier iv. sig. e.i He may be accompanied in the village with wise and sage frendes, or at the hardest with good bokes. 1577 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Islande Brit. ii. v. f. 78/1, in R. Holinshed Chron. I S. Dauides hath Pembrooke and Caermardine shyres, whose liuerie or first fruites to the Sie of Rome was 1500. Ducates at the hardest. c. †(a) let hard come to hard (also let the hardest come to the hardest): let the worst happen. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1670 J. Eachard Grounds Contempt of Clergy 114 Let the hardest come to the hardest; if they can get by heart, Quid est Fides? 1831 T. Carlyle Let. 29 Aug. in J. A. Froude T. Carlyle: First Forty Years (1910) II. viii. 151 Let hard come to hard as it will; we will study to be ready for it. 1833 Fraser's Mag. Aug. 133/2 To watch only that thy own ease be not invaded,—let otherwise hard come to hard as it will and can? 1848 R. W. Emerson Jrnl. (1973) 274 If hard come to hard, the camel has a great deal of hump left to spend from. (b) hard comes (also goes) to hard: the most difficult circumstances arise; the worst comes to the worst. Now Irish English (rare). ΚΠ 1727 P. Walker Some Remarkable Passages Semple, Welwood & Cameron 120 This implicite Faith, and Way of Working, would have made melancholly Suffering, when Hard came to Hard, of Boots, Thumbikins and Fire-matches. 1863 Cornhill Mag. July 109 There is the army in the background ready to fight the matter out if hard comes to hard. 1897 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Mar. 429/2 He did his utmost..to maintain it [sc. the traditional policy]..by the means which his predecessors considered the only effective ones when hard comes to hard. 1928 Irish Breeder 18 A plain, common beast wul iye howl its ain, If hard goes to hard, cud leeve on a stane. d. Originally and chiefly Scottish. to come (also go, etc.) through the hards (also hard): to experience hardship or difficulty. Now rare. Sc. National Dict. (at cited word) records this sense as still in use in Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Fife in 1956. ΚΠ 1820 R. Mudie Glenfergus III. xxxi. 229 Tibbie an' Colin, that hae come sae sair throu' the hards. 1858 G. Roy Generalship vi. 101 The bits o' bairns run a great risk o' coming through the hard. 1904 R. Small Hist. U.P. Congregat. I. 462 Again Arthur Street had passed through the hards. 1921 Ld. Craigmyle Lett. to Isabel 165 Has any one of them gone through the hards for education? Not one of them. I have. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood xvi. 262 ‘She's come through the hards, yer Aunt Sally,’ Geordie had said to Martha. †P3. a. to (also unto) the hard ——: right to, even to (the specified place or point); to the very or utmost (place or point). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > distance > nearness > near by [phrase] > close against to the hard ——c1400 chock1782 the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > greatly or very much [phrase] > utter to the hard ——c1400 as or so very a1560 a fool (also man, etc.) in print1600 of the first (also finest, best, etc.) water1824 dyed in the wool1830 c1400 Brut (Rawl. B. 171) 243 (MED) Þe Scottes..brent tounes vnto þe herde erþe. ?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 189 Wee weren cast doun & beten down..to the hard erthe be wyndes and thondres. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 28 Theire horse knees braste to the harde bone. ?1516 T. More Mery Gest He bare hyt oute, vnto the harde hedge. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) John ii. f. cxxj Fylled them vp to the harde brym. a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. i. sig. A.iij Up is he to the harde eares in loue. 1665 R. Monsey Scarronides 79 Alecto unwilling to retard cutts, Caus'd him to shoot him to the hard gutts. 1815 C. Lloyd tr. V. Alfieri Conspiracy of Pazzi v. iii, in tr. V. Alfieri Trag. III. 366 To the hard extremity by force They have compell'd us. b. at (also by) (the) hard ——: right at, completely at (the specified place or point). Obsolete. ΚΠ c1487 J. Skelton tr. Diodorus Siculus Bibliotheca Historica iv. 289 Thise valiaunt women [sc. the Amazons] so nere enchaced theym at the harde heles. ?1520 J. Rastell Nature .iiii. Element sig. E.j^v I smot of his legge by the hard ars, As sone as I met hym there. 1528 T. More Dialogue Heresyes ii, in Wks. 187/1 I am in this matter euen at the harde wall, & se not how to go further. 1630 R. Norton tr. W. Camden Hist. Princesse Elizabeth ii. 103 That he might follow the report of his comming at the hard heeles. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World vi. 196 I kept all the canvass..at hard bats end. †P4. on hard: with violence; furiously. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 845 He..Hewyt on hard with dyntis sad and sar. 1546 G. Joye Refut. Byshop Winchesters Derke Declar. f. cxxxvii^v If ye think yt Nicolas his eares be not stopt..kry on hard vpon him. P5. hard of hearing: not able to hear well; somewhat or partially deaf; also as n. (with the and plural agreement) partially deaf people as a class. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of ear > disordered hearing > [adjective] > hard of hearing hard of hearing1564 thick listed1579 deafish1611 dunny1708 1564 in F. J. Furnivall Child-marriages, Divorces, & Ratifications Diocese Chester (1897) 134 The testatrixe was hard of hearinge. 1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum vi. x. 745 The juyce of Sorrell dropped into the eares of such as are hard of hearing helpeth oftentimes. 1749 D. Garrick Lethe (new ed.) 13 What does he say, John—eh?—I am hard of Hearing. 1864 D. B. St. J. Roosa tr. A. F. von Tröltsch Dis. Ear xxiii. 230 The child, who was, properly speaking, only hard of hearing, grows more and more deaf and dumb. 1906 Outlook 6 Jan. 6/2 (advt.) New York School for the Hard-of-Hearing..instruction in lip-reading. 1950 Lancet 11 Nov. 532/2 Practical courses..on audiometry and hearing-aids, hard-of-hearing children, [etc.]. 1991 Garden Apr. (Proceedings Suppl.) p. viii/1 On behalf of the hard of hearing, I would like to say how much we appreciate the installation of the loop which has enabled us..to hear what is going on. 2007 One in Seven Apr. 12/1 As your magazine title reminds us, there are millions of licence payers who are deaf or hard of hearing. P6. a. hard at: busily or energetically engaged in; esp. in hard at work. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > acting vigorously or energetically [phrase] hard at1570 1570 J. God Disc. Great Crueltie of Widowe sig. B.iij^v Hard at woorke,..She skant would lift hir from her stoole where she as then did spin. a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. i. 21 My Father Is hard at study; pray now rest your selfe, Hee's safe for these three houres. View more context for this quotation 1648 J. Lilburne Lawes Funerall 2 I..found both Judges and my Grandee Adversary, Soliciter, Sr. Iohn. &c. very hard at whispering discourse, near the Chancery Court. 1717 W. Nicolson London Diaries 4–8 July (1985) 664 P.m. Hard at my press-work. 1763 London Chron. 20 Jan. 1/1 They are likewise hard at work at Toulon on the construction of ships of war. a1839 W. M. Praed Poems (1864) I. 321 Fair Childhood hard at play. 1871 Lady M. A. Barker Christmas Cake in Four Quarters iv. iii. 302 The quoits were got out, and the iron pegs stuck in the ground, and some of the shearers were soon hard at work pitching the heavy circlets through the air. 1900 T. Dreiser Sister Carrie ii. 17 A polished array of office fixtures, much frosted glass, clerks hard at work. 1947 Flying Sept. 74/1 In the upstairs office he looks like a student hard at study. 2008 C. Walsh Interns iii. 35 When I'm away from my desk, you make sure to tell people that I'm hard at work on our presentation. b. hard at it: busily or energetically engaged in some action or process (specified or implied); working with great effort or intensity. Cf. at it at at prep. 16b. ΚΠ 1590 Tarltons Newes out of Purgatorie 29 He hied him thither, and found them all hard at it by the teeth. 1636 H. Peacham Coach & Sedan sig. B4^v Their Masters who have bin hard at it, at the Taverne overnight, would..have lyen till nine or tenne. 1663 S. Pepys Diary 15 Apr. (1971) IV. 103 I to my office and there hard at it till almost noon. 1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. v. 32 Pray who hath been the Occasion of putting her into those violent Passions? Nay, who hath actually put her into them? Was not you and she hard at it before I came into the Room? View more context for this quotation 1762 L. Sterne Let. 19 Oct. in Lett. 1739–64 (2009) 294 Miss Shandy is hard at it with musick, dancing, and French speaking. 1811 J. Austen Let. 30 Apr. (1995) 186 By this time I suppose she is hard at it, governing away—poor creature! 1897 W. Beatty Secretar 182 I was hard at it raxing my brains trying to think. 1924 W. M. Raine Troubled Waters xxvii. 269 Pinto beans..were no sooner out and stacked than the men were hard at it putting in winter wheat. 1964 C. Willock Enormous Zoo i. 13 The circular saws were soon hard at it. 2005 Gay Times Dec. 12/1 Will's been hard at it lately—and not just at the gym. †P7. to meet at hard edge: to clash swords in close conflict; also figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > distance > nearness > near by [phrase] > closely or at close quarters nearhand1548 to meet at hard edge1591 toe-to-toe1942 society > society and the community > dissent > fighting > [phrase] > so far as to meet at hard edge1591 society > society and the community > dissent > fighting > [phrase] > at close quarters hand to hand?a1400 at hand1565 to meet at hard edge1591 close quarters1809 at grips1857 corps à corps1890 the world > space > distance > nearness > [adverb] > contiguously > in position of contact to meet at hard edge1591 1591 J. Harington tr. L. Ariosto Orlando Furioso xxxiii. lxxii. 273 They might a thousand times at hard-edg met, And neither blade thereby a gap would get. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xvii. 111 I will never meet at hard-edge with her. †P8. hard and sharp n. Obsolete a type of bridle having a curb bit and a single set of reins. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or management of horses > horse-gear > [noun] > bit kevela1300 barnaclea1382 bitc1385 molanc1400 bridle bit1438 snafflea1533 titup1537 bastonet?1561 cannon?1561 scatch1565 cannon bit1574 snaffle-bit1576 port mouth1589 watering snaffle1593 bell-bit1607 campanel1607 olive1607 pear-bit1607 olive-bit1611 port bit1662 neck-snaffle1686 curb-bit1688 masticador1717 Pelham1742 bridoon1744 slabbering-bit1753 hard and sharp1787 Weymouth1792 bridoon-bit1795 mameluke bit1826 Chiffney-bit1834 training bit1840 ring snaffle1850 gag-snaffle1856 segundo1860 half-moon bit1875 stiff-bit1875 twisted mouth1875 thorn-bit1886 Scamperdale1934 bit-mouth- 1787 ‘G. Gambado’ Acad. Horsemen 22 (note) Were a pig to be driven in a hard and sharp, or a Weymouth. 1850 Sporting Mag. Jan. 47 We will suppose a man had a hack whose mouth was not good enough for a snaffle, a ‘hard and sharp’ was resorted to, probably a Pelham with a single rein. †P9. in the hard: in hard cash. Obsolete. rare.Perhaps a typographical error for in the hand. ΚΠ 1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. ii. i. 93 Four hundred and thirty-three dollars..counted out to me in the hard. P10. Originally and chiefly U.S. to give (a person) a hard time: (a) to make life difficult for (a person); (b) to criticize or chastise (a person); to mock or tease. ΚΠ 1837 Maine Farmer 4 Apr. 1/2 Old winter is fast leaving us. He has given us a hard time of it.] 1876 N.-Y. Times 31 Dec. 6/7 He..was hunted by detectives, who gave him a hard time. 1948 Harper's Mag. Aug. 72/1 Keep your sense of humor and don't give me a hard time because you can't always get the reservations you want. 1955 C. E. Mercer There comes Time xi. 153 He shook his head. ‘She's just giving him a hard time in the way she does everyone. Meanness, most call it.’ 1974 ‘P. Mann’ Dog Day Afternoon (1975) xvii. 152 They gave him a hard time for several minutes, until Moretti showed up and busted ass for a while. 1990 N. Blei Chi Town 146 Nobody here gives me a hard time 'cept this mailman here... He tried to give me a knuckle sandwich the other day. 2005 New Yorker 3 Jan. 46/1 I remember him sitting in the bleachers and these guys around him giving him a hard time, calling him ‘Kush-Kush’. P11. hard-to-get: difficult to obtain; (also) aloof, unapproachable. Cf. to play hard to get at play v. 28c. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > discourtesy > [adjective] > not affable strange1338 estrangec1374 formal?1518 cold1557 squeamish1561 icy1567 buckrama1589 repulsive1598 starched1600 unaffable1603 stiff1608 withdrawing1611 reserved1612 aloof1639 cool1641 uncordial1643 inaffable1656 staunch1659 standfra1683 distant1710 starcha1716 distancing1749 pokerish1779 buckramed1793 angular1808 easeless1811 touch-me-not1817 starchy1824 standoffish1826 offish1827 poker-backed1830 standoff1837 stiffish1840 chilly1841 unapproachable1848 hedgehoggy1866 sticky1882 hard-to-get1899 stand-away1938 princesse lointaine1957 1899 Washington Post 3 Apr. 7/1 (advt.) The hard-to-get Gray Mixed Cheviots, in four grades and exquisite shadings, 75c...a yard. 1938 Times of India 19 Feb. 18/5 (advt.) Follow the go getter and his hard-to-get girl in their madcap adventures around the whirl! 1951 P. G. Wodehouse Old Reliable xi. 132 Why are you pulling this hard-to-get stuff on Joe? 1981 Bon Appétit Nov. 225/3 (advt.) A plump delicacy so rare, so superior, so hard-to-get, it surpasses the cuisine of world famous restaurants. 2012 N. Dettmann Life Worth dreaming About vi. 90 They liked his bad-boy persona and hard-to-get attitude. P12. the hard way: (in) the most difficult or unpleasant method of doing something; esp. through bitter experience; by one's own unaided efforts. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [phrase] > with difficulty > by the most difficult method the hard way1914 1914 C. L. Burnham Right Track xv. 230 ‘You had to learn the hard way, did n't you?’ she said tenderly. ‘What do you mean? There is n't any other way in this awful world.’ 1923 Lawrence (Kansas) Jrnl. World 11 Apr. 4/1 The reds appear to reason, why go about it the hard way when a short cut holds prospect of better results and in a much shorter time? 1954 M. Croft Spare Rod i. ii. 12 I'm starting you off the hard way. 1971 D. Lees Rainbow Conspiracy ix. 135 In the end I nearly found the reservoir the hard way. 2009 R. Garay Manship School x. 137 Veteran newspapermen who had come up the hard way, learning their skills in the hard school of experience. Compounds C1. Designating materials and objects characterized (with varying degrees of specificity) as firm, solid, resistant, etc. hard brass n. ΚΠ 1829 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 119 156 (table) Hard brass on cast iron. 1873 E. Spon Workshop Receipts 1st Ser. 10 Hard Brass, for Casting.—25 parts copper, 2 zinc, 4.5 tin. 2006 Internat. Jrnl. Impact Engin. 32 1991 There is a very slight variation in projectile fragment sizes for the hard brass targets in contrast to the soft (annealed) brass targets. hard coke n. ΚΠ 1813 J. M. Good et al. Pantologia at Iron In the same manner the furnaces burning soft cokes require narrower furnaces, than for hard cokes which have a similar quality as to their carbonic contents. 1961 Fowler's Mech. Engineer's Pocket Bk. (ed. 63) 181 Hard or Furnace Coke.—Varies in appearance, according to the method of manufacture. 2013 P. Basu Biomass Gasification, Pyrolysis & Torrefaction (ed. 2) v. 174 The coke oven in an iron and steel plant, which pyrolyzes..coking coal to produce hard coke used for iron extraction. hard glaze n. ΚΠ 1802 Jrnl. Nat. Philos. Oct. 107 (margin) The hard glaze does not run nor dilute the colours. 1982 S. Digby in Cambr. Econ. Hist. India I. v. 141 Yet another superior technology, that of hard-glaze ceramics, whether porcelain or stoneware, was a Far Eastern..monopoly which was not displaced till the eighteenth century. 2012 Ceramics Internat. 38 4902/1 Inversely, hard glaze could be scratch resistant and chemically durable due to high silica content. hard pavior n. ΚΠ 1819 Morning Post 18 Feb. 1/3 (advt.) West Indies.—Bricks for shipping... Bright, sound and hard paviors. 1904 G. F. Goodchild & C. F. Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. 280/1 Hard paviors.., malm bricks, over-burnt and slightly blemished in colour, used for paving, coping, etc. 1987 K. Gurcke Bricks & Brickmaking i. 37 There are also ‘hard paviours’ and ‘brown facing paviours’. Paviours should not be confused with paving bricks. hard pitch n. [originally after classical Latin pix dūra] ΚΠ a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxxviii. 970 A scrupil þerof [sc. gutta]..helpiþ wel aȝeins þe gowtes ymedlid wiþ hard picche [L. pice dura]. 1553 H. Llwyd tr. Pope John XXI Treasury of Healthe (new ed.) sig. M.i Make a playster of lynnen coth and hard pitche. 1765 Philos. Trans. 1764 (Royal Soc.) 54 10 On cutting away the fillets which covered the tarsus, the bones adhered strongly together; and were covered with hard pitch. 2000 Fuel & Energy Abstr. 41 209/1 Coal tar pitch can be suitably processed to produce hard pitch of desired quality. C2. Parasynthetic. See also hard-favoured adj., hard-featured adj., etc. a. ΚΠ c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 4541 (MED) For þat strok had he non hoȝe, For he was þanne to-be-toȝe..With an hard crested serpentis fel. ?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xvi. 247 May I not reueale To th'old hard-fated Arcesiades Your safe returne? 1683 W. Kennett tr. Erasmus Witt against Wisdom 47 All these hard-nam'd fellows cannot make So great a figure as a single Quack. 1722 Coll. Misc. Lett. Mist's Weekly Jrnl. I. lxxxi. 238 I have a hard-favoured, hard-hearted, Iron-sided, hard-humoured Helpmate. 1754 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. (ed. 4) II. sig. Rrr/1 Osteospermum, hard-seeded chrysanthemum. 1812 Ann. Reg. 1810 (Otridge ed.) Antiquities 669/2 The Romans had eight kinds [of cherry],..a hard-fleshed one (duracina) like our bigarreau. 1845 Knickerbocker 25 446 The hard-bottomed chairs were the same, and the lounge, and the tall mahogany clock. 1891 T. Hardy Tess of the D'Urbervilles I. xvii. 215 The milkers formed quite a little battalion of men and maids, the men operating on the hard-teated animals. 1922 D. H. Lawrence Aaron's Rod (N.Y. ed.) xv. 210 Angus had been born in a house with a park, and of awful hard-willed, money-bound people. 1961 Webster's 3rd New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. Apron, an extensive usu. hard-surfaced area; esp. such an area used for stopping or parking automobiles. 1989 D. Okrent & S. Wulf Baseball Anecd. iv. 197 He was a bizarre spectacle, this naked old man parading through a room full of hard-muscled young athletes. 2013 N.Y. Mag. 16 Dec. 73/4 She's a hard-hided R&B singer who specializes in..songs about love and pain and resilience. b. hard-boned adj. ΚΠ 1789 T. Holcroft tr. J. C. Lavater Ess. Physiognomy III. v. 88 Those [inhabitants] of Schafhausen are hard boned [Ger. Der Schafhauser ist hartknochiger]. 1860 Dublin Univ. Mag. July 21/2 This beautiful tesselation is quite unrivalled in fishes or any other animals, although the general contrivance is repeated with various modifications in the hard-boned fishes. 2008 Daily News (New Plymouth, N.Z.) (Nexis) 28 July 7 The team of hard-boned, hard-playing individuals who..created and ruggedly nurtured the aura of invincibility that imbued the All Blacks brand is gone. hard-coated adj. ΚΠ 1606 P. Holland tr. Suetonius Hist. Twelve Caesars 73 I eate an ounce weight of bread with a fewe hard coated Grapes [L. cum paucis acinis uvae duracinae]. 1717 S. Collins Paradise Retriev'd 18 This faintness breeds a small yellow hard coated Worm. 1936 W. Stiles Introd. Princ. Plant Physiol. xv. 311 The hard-coated seeds of Crototaria striata are injured by exposure to water at temperatures above 50° C. 1992 N.Y. Times 21 Mar. 52/4 Hard-coated glass..is used frequently for removable storm panes, often advertised as ‘energy panels’. hard-eyed adj. ΚΠ 1792 Sentimental & Masonic Mag. Oct. 353 The hard-eyed usurer [was forced] to restore the sequestered pawn. 1844 R. W. Emerson Ess. 2nd Ser. (Boston ed.) ii. 51 Moaning women, and hard-eyed husbands. 1925 N.Y. Herald Tribune 13 Sept. v. 3/3 She submitted quietly to the embrace of the hard-eyed, carbuncled shyster Ivy Peters. 2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) x. 241 Many of the games their hard-eyed custodians demonstrated..were home-made, cottage-industry side benefits. hard feathered adj. ΚΠ 1591 R. Percyvall Bibliotheca Hispanica Dict. at Encañonarse las aves To be hard feathered. 1674 C. Cotton Compl. Gamester xxxviii. 218 Having taken them [sc. your Cocks] up, view them well, and see that they are sound, hard feather'd, and full summ'd, that is having all their feathers compleat. 1867 W. B. Tegetmeier Poultry Bk. xxii. 235 The ordinary farm-yard fowls show a strong likeness to the game breed, arising from the custom..of putting game cocks out ‘to walk’... The close, hard feathered, neat, compact fowls, seen in so many districts, evidently result from this custom. 2000 Cornish World Oct. 21/1 It is a ‘hard feathered’ breed that keeps its feathers close to its chest, and looks like the archetypal cartoon chicken. hard-glazed adj. ΚΠ 1767 tr. Tariff, or Bk. Rates 45 Linnen hard glazed, printed, or dyed. 1880 R. V. Tuson Cooley's Cycl. Pract. Receipts (ed. 6) I. 260/1 Enamelled, hard-glazed, or wooden vessels must be used with all of them [sc. acid baths]. 1928 Daily Express 6 Oct. 11/7 A hard-glazed lacquer work upon tin-plate. 2002 W. Hughes Thirteenth Beach 149 Lustrous, like hard-glazed porcelain. hard haired adj. ΚΠ a1625 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Two Noble Kinsmen (1634) iv. ii. 105 His head's yellow, Hard hayr'd, and curld. View more context for this quotation 1774 Daily Advertiser 10 Aug. (advt.) Lost on Sunday last, a large hard haired Brindle Dog..answers to the Name of Captain. 1987 D. F. Wallace Broom of Syst. xiv. 299 The hard-haired mothers stare without pity. 2002 D. Rice Small Dog Breeds 109/2 Breeders decided to form a class for Hard Haired Terriers that included the Westie, the Scottie, and the Cairn. hard-leafed n. ΚΠ 1867 D. Livingstone 31 Jan. in Last Jrnls. (1874) I. vii. 184 The hard-leafed acacia and mohempi abound. 1908 Bull. Bureau Plant Industry 16 18 In such cases lettuce leaves (of the hard-leafed varieties) may be temporarily used. 2007 J. Manning Field Guide to Fynbos 11/2 Fynbos is characteristically a hard-leafed, relatively open shrubland, about 1–3 m tall. hard-leaved adj. ΚΠ 1682 S. Gilbert Florists Vade-mecum 104 Narrow leav'd, or soft Anemonies, are more valued than the broad or hard leaved ones. 1764 J. Hill Veg. Syst. VI. 15 (heading) Hard-leaved gummweed. 1866 Pall Mall Gaz. 22 May 6/1 Aloes and other hard-leaved plants of that description form effective points. 1926 J. Masefield Odtaa xiii. 223 Hi crackled through some hard-leaved scrub. 2007 T. Griffiths Slicing Silence 80 The hard-leaved vegetation emerged from within the rainforest to dominate and diversify. hard-lipped adj. ΚΠ 1846 E. Bulwer-Lytton Lucretia I. i. 14 Not one..not the thoughtful scholar, nor his fair-haired hard-lipped son..would so have arrested the eye. 1922 J. Bower Rim o' World xviii. 226 To strike the man on his fish-like, hard-lipped mouth would only make matters worse. 1961 John o' London's 6 July 57/2 One of his virtuoso essays in hard-lipped sensitivity. 2012 S. Thompson Communion Town 121 While he creased himself up, Dolly Common hung back, hard-lipped. hard-minded adj. ΚΠ 1782 London Mag. Mar. 136/1 Some cold, hard-minded, positive disputants. 1879 Mind 4 344 Such also is the attitude of all hard-minded analysts. 1921 H. G. Wells Russia in Shadows iv. 113 A certain section of the Bolsheviks are hard-minded, doctrinaire and unteachable men. 2005 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 20 Oct. 52/2 Evolutionists may glide from the firm surface of hard-minded methodology..into the sloth of unreflective metaphysical naturalism. hard-natured adj. ΚΠ 1569 N. Haward tr. Seneca Line of Liberalitie ii. vii. f. 43^v Fabius verucosus was wont to lyken and compare, the benefit whiche any hard natured man [L. ab homine duro aspere] with paine dyd, to grauely or greety bread. 1657 J. Davies tr. V. de Voiture Lett. i. xlviii. 92 How hard-natur'd soever you may be, methinks you cannot do me a greater injury then that of not seeing you. 1767 Hist. Miss Pittborough I. xxv. 160 What bitter imprecations did I now utter against myself and the hard-natured Kitty. 1823 J. Clare Let. 11 Sept. (1985) 285 Sombody has sent me this morning a ‘Sunday Times’..with a hardnaturd puff in it. 1919 Survey 4 Jan. 433/1 Others have fallen among hard-natured people, and their helpless condition has been shamelessly exploited. 2011 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 24 July The gentle side of me comes from Mum. I'm not as hard-natured as Dad. hard-spirited adj. ΚΠ 1651 J. Goodwin Confidence Dismounted 7 Such hard-spirited men as you and some others are. 1830 Millennial Harbinger 5 July 317 I cannot help pitying this poor, bigoted, hard-spirited old man!! 1906 S. Atlantic Q. Apr. 114 His father was a hard spirited, cultured, dogmatic, and unsympathetic archdeacon. 2013 Hobart Mercury (Nexis) 17 Oct. 44 To react the way we have was just what we wanted after a hard-spirited performance. hard-textured adj. ΚΠ 1851 New Zealand 15 in Chambers's Papers for People XI Beautiful furniture has been made..from some of these finely-grained, hard-textured, brilliantly-polished woods. 1937 E. Sitwell I live under Black Sun 141 A sour hard-textured unripe plum. 2008 C. Shaeffer Fabric Sewing Guide ii. 63/1 Worsteds are used to make..hard-textured fabrics such as gabardine. hard-timbered adj. ΚΠ a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) ii. i. 55 Hewes downe and fells the hardest-tymber'd Oake. View more context for this quotation 1832 Brit. Mag. Nov. 281 What is called hard timbered land, where the maple, beech,..and tulip tree, &c. are found. 1906 Bee Keeper's Rev. 15 May 139/2 It is in these hard-timbered belts that we must look for the honey-yielding berries. 2008 Daily News (New Plymouth, N.Z.) (Nexis) 11 Mar. 14 There were still large, hard-timbered trees to chop down with their axes before digging out the stumps. hard-visaged adj. ΚΠ 1716 tr. A. R. Le Sage Gil Blas I. iii. iii. 263 He was tall, hard-visag'd [Fr. il avoit le visage long, avec un nez de perroquet]; and tho' he was not ugly, yet he had something in his Face that was shocking. 1832 J. P. Kennedy Swallow Barn I. v. 61 The..rank and file of the school-room..were collected in one silent and wistful group at the door, with their hard-visaged commander towering above their heads. 1922 Amer. Mag. May 159/1 Brilliant journalists have found themselves totally unable to respond when some steely-eyed and hard-visaged plutocrat or statesman suddenly turned on them. 2000 E. H. Simmons Dog Company Six ii. 18 The small square identification picture showed a dark, hard-visaged man. hard-walled adj. ΚΠ 1857 M. J. Berkeley Introd. Cryptogamic Bot. 520 (note) The rhizoma..is scraped so as to avoid including the hard walled tissue. a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. viii. 152 In the muscular hard-walled gizzard of the earthworm the particles of soil are broken into finer dust. 2013 USA Today (Nexis) 27 Sept. 1 c The makeshift locker, weight and training rooms are in a hard-walled tent next to the practice field. C3. In the names of plants. See also hardbeam n., hard fern n. hardhack n., hardhead n.² 5, hardwood n. 2. hard corn n. (also †corn hard) (a) any of various crops (including cereals and beans) that have a hard grain or are winter hardy, esp. wheat and rye (now historical and rare); (b) (originally and chiefly U.S.) a type of maize having particularly hard kernels; cf. flint corn n. at flint n. Compounds 3. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > rye and wheat mixed > plants producing hard corna1399 blend corn?1523 numcorn1570 triticale1952 a1399 in W. G. Benham Oath Bk. Colchester (1907) 10 (MED) Of alle maner cornys hard that comth to the toun, a pynte of a bussel; and for malt and ote a pynte be hepe. 1468 Maldon (Essex) Liber B. f. 14 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 356 (MED) Hard corn..that is, of whete, rye, barley, pesyn, and benes. a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 356 The said Iamys resceived of her ij acris I-sowe of hard corne [L. duro blado]. 1578 in F. Collins Wills & Admin. Knaresborough Court Rolls (1902) I. 135 Hard corne threshed and unwindowed. 1646 in J. W. Clay Yorkshire Royalist Composition Papers (1893) I. 94 350 stooks hardecorn, 49 stooks barley. 1726 J. Laurence New Syst. Agric. i. iv. 83 Wheat, Barley, Beans, or other hard Corn. 1846 N. Carolina Farmer June 15 Our Northern hard corn is oily, and what is termed Pop Corn, owes its peculiar property to its oily nature. 1973 I. Kershaw Bolton Priory ii. 42 The 1317 harvest produced a mixed bag of yields of hard corn. 2003 S. Nottingham Eat Your Genes (ed. 2) xii. 134 Flint or hard corn, with large floury kernels, is turned into animal feeds and used in a wide range of processed foods. hard fescue n. (more fully hard fescue-grass) any of several tough-leaved fescues, (now) esp. Festuca trachyphylla (also called F. brevipila) and F. longifolia, both native to Europe, used in sports turf and lawns. ΚΠ 1762 W. Hudson Flora Anglica 36 Anglis, hard Fescue-grass. 1895 M. J. Sutton Permanent & Temporary Pastures (ed. 5) 52 Hard Fescue forms one of the principal constituents of the sheep pastures of this country. 1937 S. F. Armstrong Brit. Grasses (ed. 3) x. 205 In commerce ‘Hard Fescue’ and ‘Sheep's Fescue’ are almost interchangeable. 2004 House & Garden Aug. 56/3 If I want a truly care-free lawn, I should plant a superior variety of hard fescue (Festuca longifolia). hard grass n. any of numerous coarse dry grasses, (now) esp. Parapholis strigosa, of coastal areas in Europe, and Sclerochloa dura, found in disturbed ground in Eurasia (and introduced into Australia and the Americas). ΚΠ 1597 J. Gerard Herball i. ii. 3 Small hard grasse hath small rootes compact of little strings or threds. 1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum xiii. x. 1157 (heading) Gramen panicula multiplici. Medow hard grasse with manifold tufts. 1771 T. Martyn Catalogus Horti Botanici Cantabrigiensis 14 Rough Cock's-foot Grass, or Hard Grass. 1825 G. Sinclair Hortus Gramineus Woburnensis (ed. 2) 68 Rottboellia. Hard-grass. 1961 R. W. Butcher New Illustr. Brit. Flora II. 978 Parapholis (Lepturus) incurva. The curved hard-grass is a small, tufted annual with many erect, curved stems 1–6 in. high. 2006 J. Jessop et al. Grasses S. Austral. 166 Sclerochloa dura... Hard meadow-grass, hard grass. hardhay n. any of several Eurasian St John's worts having somewhat hard stalks, esp. St Peter's wort, Hypericum tetrapterum, of damp habitats (now rare) and perforate St John's wort, H. perforatum, of dry grasslands. [Perhaps after early modern Dutch harthoy perforate St John's wort (1554 in Dodoens, or earlier; Dutch hertshooi , with remodelling of the first element by association with hert hart n.). Compare German Hartheu (1561 as †harthöuw).] ΚΠ 1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 434 S. Peters woort, Square or great S. Iohns grasse: and of some Hardhay. 1665 R. Lovell Παμβοτανολογια (ed. 2) 190 Hard-hay, see S. Peters-wort. 1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. I. 569/2 Hardhay. Hypericum quadrangulare. 1933 H. Laurens Physiol. Effects Radiant Energy xiv. 509 White sheep that have eaten Hypericum crispum (the crisp or cured Hard Hay) grown in boggy soil, become very sick. 1998 Daily News (N.Y.) (Nexis) 16 Nov. (Health & Fitness section) 33 The scientific name for St.-John's-wort is Hypericum Perforatum, for example, but it is also called Hardhay, Amber, Goatweed and Tipton Weed. 2009 N. Arrowsmith Essent. Herbal Wisdom 267 The herb [sc. Hypericum perforatum] is still called hardhay, penny John, rosin rose, tough-and-heal, cammock, amber, and balm of the warrior's wound. † hard how n. [ < hard adj. + a second element of unknown origin] Obsolete rare the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis. ΚΠ 1597 J. Gerard Herball App. Hardhow is Marygolds. 1665 R. Lovell Παμβοτανολογια (ed. 2) 190 Hard how, see Marigolds. hard maple n. chiefly North American the sugar maple, Acer saccharinum; the wood of this tree. ΚΠ 1751 Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar 12 145 Sugar-maple, Sugartree, Sugarwood, Black maple, Hard maple. 1898 G. Pinchot Adirondack Spruce 20 This ability to tolerate heavy shade is common to large numbers of forest trees, among which both the Beech and the Hard Maple excel the Spruce in this regard. 1993 Canad. Living May 32 The menu stars fresh Cape Breton lamb..and maple syrup from nearby stands of hard maple. 2000 Jrnl. Soc. Archer-Antiquaries 43 16/2 The wood closely resembled hard maple (Acer saccharum). hard pine n. any of various coniferous trees of the genus Pinus that yield hard wood, spec. those of the subgenus Pinus; (also) the wood of any of these trees.In quot. 1531 the exact sense is uncertain. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > conifers > [noun] > pines and allies > pitch-pines hard pine1531 pitch tree1538 torch-tree1601 pitch pine1662 piceaster1664 pitch1674 pitch fir1726 swamp pine1851 1531 G. Joye tr. Prophete Isaye xliiii. sig. L.iiij^v To karye home y^e harde pyne trees [L. cedros], okes, & siche oth^r trees of the wode. 1797 J. Sullivan Let. 18 Dec. in Weekly Mag. (1798) 30 June 273/1 Six logs of hard pine, laid in a trench, each having a caliber of three and an half inches. 1890 Boston (Mass.) Jrnl 3 Nov. (advt.) A valuable tract of hard-pine timber-land. 1910 Amer. Naturalist 44 286 The nut-pine of Italy is a hard pine. 2003 Novon 13 281 A remarkable population of a hard pine (=Pinus subg. Pinus)..was found. hard rush n. any of several rushes having relatively hard stems, (now) spec. Juncus inflexus of Europe, having coarse greyish stems. ΚΠ 1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum xvii. cxxvi. f. 312^v/1 Fiue kindes of rushes are written of: Mariscus the candle rush, Iuncus acutus, the hard rush and fenne rush, [etc.]. 1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum xiii. xxxi. 1192 (heading) Iuncus asper sive Acutus. Hard or Sharpe Rushes. 1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scotica I. 183 [Juncus inflexus] Hard-Rush. Anglis. Upon the shores on the coast of Fife. 1864 M. Plues Rambles in Search of Wild Flowers (ed. 2) xvi. 293 The Hard Rush..is slender, tough, and glaucous. 1960 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Antiquaries Ireland 90 83 Mosses and the ‘hard rush’ are conspicuous. 2011 N. Lucas Designing with Grasses ii. 21 (caption) The hard rush, Juncus inflexus.., thrives in even wetter parts of the meadow. hard tinder fungus n. rare a bracket fungus, Phellinus igniarius (family Hymenochaetaceae), having particularly hard fruiting bodies. ΚΠ 1859 W. S. Coleman Our Woodlands 74 Gigantic specimens of the Hard-tinder fungus (Boletus igniarius). 1955 H. Bastin Plants Without Flowers v. 68 In this country [sc. Britain] the hard tinder fungus is almost confined to willows. hard wheat n. wheat of any variety having a hard grain rich in gluten, used esp. to make bread. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > wheat > types of wheat grain or plant spelta1000 farc1420 ador?1440 flaxen wheat?1523 Peak-wheat?1523 red wheat?1523 white wheat?1523 duck-bill wheat1553 zea1562 alica1565 buck1577 amelcorn1578 horse-flower1578 tiphe1578 pollard1580 rivet1580 Saracen's corn1585 French wheat1593 Lammas-wheat1594 starch corn1597 St. Peter's corn1597 frumenty1600 secourgeon1600 polwheat1601 duck-wheat1611 kidneys of wheat1611 ograve wheat1616 soft wheat1640 cone-wheat1677 Lammas1677 Poland wheat1686 Saracen corn1687 pole rivet1707 Smyrna wheat1735 hard wheat1757 hen corn1765 velvet wheat1771 white straw1771 nonpareil1805 thick-set wheat1808 cone1826 farro1828 Polish wheat1832 velvet-ear wheat1837 sarrasin1840 mummy wheat1842 snowdrop1844 Red Fife1857 flint-wheat1859 dinkel1866 thick-set1875 spring1884 macaroni wheat1901 einkorn1904 marquis1906 durum1908 emmer1908 hedgehog wheat1909 speltoid1939 1757 Herald 8 Dec. 77 Of all soft grain, ours has generally the preference about five or six per cent. but hard wheat is intrinsically better than ours from twelve to twenty-five per cent. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVII. 301/2 There are three principal varieties... These are the hard wheats, the soft wheats, and the Polish wheats. 1908 Westm. Gaz. 1 July 6/3 The hard-wheat lands of Canada. 2005 Delicious Nov. 108/2 (heading) Strong white. Also called bread flour, this is milled from hard wheat with a high gluten content. C4. hard-anodized adj. Metallurgy anodized so as to have a relatively thick surface coating, giving greater resistance to wear and corrosion. ΚΠ 1951 U.S. Patent 2,567,877 3 For hard anodized coatings a 10 per cent sulfuric acid solution proves suitable, but that for soft coatings a 70 per cent sulfuric acid solution functions well. 1973 Motor Boating & Sailing Jan. 300/2 (advt.) The unique Wrapp Cleat comes in..three finishes (chrome plated zinc, polished aluminum and black hard-anodized aluminum). 2002 Fly Fisherman Feb. 39/1 Rods have hard-anodized reel seats with double-locking rings. hardbag n. a form of electronic dance music popular in the mid to late 1990s, derived from techno and incorporating elements of handbag (handbag n. 2c) and house music.Recorded earliest in attributive use. ΚΠ 1994 Personal Playlists in alt.music.techno (Usenet newsgroup) 17 Nov. Desoto—Pay A Lil' Attention (Si BRad & Czaz Hardbag Mix) (L'attitude). 1995 Face Jan. 130/3 There's a new single, ‘Whodunnit’ out on React this month, which she describes as ‘hardbag’—a cross between hard house and handbag. 2013 J. Cook Byron Easy iv. 238 Every night his room..would shake to the subterranean bass of techno, hardbag, ragga. hard-based adj. having a hard or firm base (literal or figurative).With quot. 1959 cf. sense A. 11. ΚΠ 1832 Medico-chirurg. Trans. 17 340 The disease begins in irritable pimple..and this breaks into hard based and spreading ulcer. 1936 Geogr. Jrnl. 87 205 Hard based tussocks of long grass. 1959 Listener 31 Dec. 1140/1 Within a few years it will have at its disposal enough ‘hard-based’ missiles..to make it impossible for any surprise attack to succeed at all. 2001 R. Filippini et al. in R. G. Schroeder & B. B. Flynn High Performance Manufacturing ii. 25 These two are..largely representative of the progress of all the soft-based and hard-based initiatives studied. † hard bit n. [ < hard adj. + bit n.²] slang Obsolete rare an erect penis; cf. sense B. 9, hard-on n. ΚΠ 1893 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang III. 269/1 Hard-bit (or bit of hard). 1. The penis in erection. hard bop n. a form of bop (bop n.²) originating in the mid 1950s, incorporating elements of blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel music; cf. funk n.² 3.Recorded earliest in attributive use. ΚΠ 1957 N.Y. Amsterdam News 8 June 26/4 John (Jackie) Mclean..described as a ‘hard bop’ bandleader, was held in $5,000 bail in Felony Court after his apprehension in East Harlem with an alleged eighth-ounce of heroin in his possession. 1957 New Yorker 26 Oct. 174/2 One of the leaders of an increasingly fashionable school of modern jazz called..‘hard bop’ or ‘funky’ is Horace Silver. 2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 20 Apr. (Front section) 27/2 Mr. Butler and Columbia soon became a nexus for the Young Lions, young musicians playing hard bop or traditional styles with polished technique. hard bread n. now chiefly Canadian (esp. Newfoundland) (as a mass noun) any of various types of hard, dry biscuit; spec. (a) oatcakes; (b) Newfoundland thick, oval-shaped biscuits baked without salt and dried in a kiln; cf. hardtack n. 1a. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > biscuit > [noun] > other biscuits dorcake14.. cracknelc1440 hard breada1500 crackling1598 Naples biscuit1650 gingerbread man1686 chocolate biscuit1702 biscotin1723 sponge biscuit1736 maple biscuita1753 butter biscuit1758 nut1775 Oliver biscuit1786 funeral biscuit1790 rock biscuit?1790 ratafia1801 finger biscuit1812 Savoy drop1816 lady's finger1818 snap1819 Abernethy1830 pretzel1831 wine-biscuit1834 gingersnap1838 captain's biscuit1843 lebkuchen1847 simnel1854 sugar cookie1854 peppernut1862 McClellan pie1863 Savoy ring1866 Brown George1867 beaten biscuit1876 digestive1876 Osborne1876 Bath Oliver1878 marie1878 boer biscuit1882 charcoal biscuit1885 biscotti1886 fairing1888 snickerdoodle1889 pfeffernuss1891 zwieback1894 Nice1895 Garibaldi biscuit1896 Oswegoc1900 squashed fly1900 amaretto1905 boerebeskuit1905 Romary1905 petit beurre1906 Oswego biscuit1907 soetkoekie1910 Oreo1912 custard cream1916 Anzac1923 sweet biscuit1929 langue de chat1931 Bourbon biscuit1932 Afghan1934 flapjack1935 Florentine1936 chocolate chip cookie1938 choc chip cookie1940 Toll House cookie1940 tuile1943 pizzelle1949 black and white1967 Romany Cream1970 papri1978 a1500 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 739/37 Hoc colifium, hardbred. 1685 G. Sinclair Satans Invisible World Discovered xi. 89 Give me a peice of that hard bread (for so they call their Oat Cakes). 1781 Heath in R. Putnam Mem. (1903) 187 The major is gone to the commissary to obtain some hard bread if possible. 1857 W. Chandless Visit Salt Lake ii. 11 What we call rolls, in America are ycleped biscuits, and biscuits in their turn hard bread. 1905 G. E. Cole Early Oregon i. 12 Having no salt junk or hard bread left. 1975 Evening Telegram (St. John's, Newfoundland) 28 June 16 If you were flahoola with the money you could buy a slice of baloney there, and a cake of hardbread all for five cents. 2012 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 11 Apr. l. 2 He had just received a package..filled with various ingredients from Newfoundland, including Screech, hard bread, dried savoury and salt cod. hard candy n. chiefly North American hard confectionery made of boiled sugar with added flavouring and (typically bright) colouring; a piece of such confectionery; cf. boiled sweet n.In early use not a fixed collocation (see, e.g., quot. 1664); cf. candy n.² 1. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > hard sweet rock sugar1652 rock candy1653 rock1718 hard candy1848 1664 Court & Kitchin Joan Cromwel sig. I^v Let the other part of your sugar be ready candy'd to a hard candy.] 1848 Columbus (Georgia) Times 3 Oct. (advt.) He is now constantly manufacturing his celebrated hard candies. 1927 Manufacturing Confectioner Jan. 12 (heading) What is the shelf life of your hard candy? 2014 M. Richmond Golden State x. 60 She glanced at me and pulled a hard candy out of her pocket. ‘Butterscotch?’ hard-cased adj. having a hard case (in various senses of case n.²); spec. (of a book) = hardbacked adj. 3. ΘΚΠ society > communication > book > kind of book > book of specific form or colour > [adjective] > having specific type of cover > hard hard-covered1820 boarded1842 casebound1890 hardback1904 hardbacked1906 hardbound1906 hard-shelled1907 hardcover1939 hard-cased1951 1820 J. Crawfurd Hist. Indian Archipel. III. ix. iv. 397 A small hole at the side or base of the nut..out of which a hard cased black fly may be seen to spring. 1875 Hardwicke's Sci.-gossip 11 276/1 The hard-cased sporules of the Lycopodium are filled with a peculiar oil. 1951 Publishers' Weekly 2 June 2357 Using the conventional method, eight to ten hours is a fair estimate of the time required to build in each batch of hard-cased books. 2013 M. L. Springer Project & Program Managem. (ed. 2) ix. 112 The entire operating system fit onto a 128k floppy drive, which wasn't really floppy at all (it was a hard-cased 3.5-inch disk). hard charger n. U.S. (a) Sport (chiefly American Football and Motor Racing) a player or competitor who charges or races forcefully or aggressively; (b) originally Military slang an energetic, enterprising, and ambitious person, a go-getter. ΚΠ 1902 Hamilton Lit. Mag. Dec. 168 He is a hard charger, perfectly accurate in passing the ball; he never fumbles. 1925 Ogden (Utah) Standard Examiner 22 Nov. 13/2 He is a hard charger, fast in stepping down the field and a deadly tackler. 1951 Marine Corps Gaz. Sept. 42/1 If the reader is..an officer contemplating recommending some hard charging NCO... Permit me to tell you about..the hard chargers of '41. 1966 Arizona Republic 17 Apr. b1/2 We need..a knight in shining armor, a real hard charger who can lead the community to achieve these goals. 1979 Washingtonian May 181/1 The best officers are quickly tagged as ‘hard-chargers, fast-burners, water-walkers’. 1998 Sunday Times (Nexis) 21 June Formula One is best contested between hard-chargers, searching constantly for the opportunity to overtake and battle. 2009 J. Jennings Hit Ground Running iii. 67 I was always the hard charger shouting ‘Out of my way’ and too busy climbing the ladder to ask for help. hard cheddar n. and int. colloquial (originally and chiefly British) hard luck; cf. hard cheese n. 2. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [noun] > misfortune or ill-luck un-i-limpOE unlimpc1175 mishap?c1225 unhap?c1225 mishappeningc1230 ames-ace?a1300 misadventure?a1300 ill hailc1300 misauntera1325 untiminga1325 miscasec1325 mischancec1325 misfall1340 misfarea1387 casec1390 infortunea1393 mishapping?a1400 unchancea1400 disadventurea1413 mischieving1432 infortuny?a1439 encumbermentc1440 misfortune1441 evil hail?c1450 malfortunea1470 unhappiness1470 maleurtee?1473 malheur?1473 evil health1477 unfortune1483 wanfortunea1500 disfortune1509 wanhap1513 ill, evil ch(i)eving?1518 mislucka1530 ill luck1548 unfortunacy?c1550 evilfare1556 unluck1556 hard luck1567 bad luck1575 miscasualty1588 disgrace1590 wanchance1599 disventure1612 misaccident1620 miscarriagec1625 hard lines1722 mishanter1754 malefit1755 miscanter1781 hard cheese1854 hard cheddar1893 schlimazel1911 tough luck1912 snake eyes1918 catch-arse1970 1893 Huddersfield Daily Chron. 16 June 4/2 The victorious career of the Hall Bower eleven in the Alliance No. 2 has received a slight check, and they have my sympathy in what may be called rather ‘hard Cheddar’. 1931 ‘N. Bell’ Life & Andrew Otway 465 No, I don't see how you can blame the bleedin' government. Hard cheddar on you but—. 2012 T. Drury Megan's Game iii. 44 Hard cheddar. So your Dad's in prison. hard chine n. Nautical a boat's hull with a distinct angle between the bottom and the side (cf. chine n.³ 2b); frequently attributive, esp. designating such a hull or a boat built with one. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > [noun] > types of hull round bilge1859 hard chine1912 1912 Motor Boat Man. (ed. 5) v. 44 ‘Miranda IV’..has a single step... The hard chine or angular bilge is not an essential feature. 1951 Engineering 8 June 680/2 The appraisal of the respective merits and demerits of round-bilge, hard-chine and stepped hulls is fair and temperate. 2005 Mariner's Mirror 91 586/1 The 12ft hard-chine punt, or ‘skiff’, [was] got over the side. hard chined adj. (of a boat) having a hard chine. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > [adjective] > having specific type of hull > specific bilgeda1522 full-bottomed1784 hard chined1936 multihulled1956 multihull1960 1936 U. Fox Sail & Power xix. 141 The owner of the round-bottomed cruiser says that the hard-chined express cruiser is unworthy. This is entirely wrong. 1948 Motorboating Jan. 85/1 Another typically Frisian ship is the ‘Schouw’. It is an inexpensive, hard-chined little boat, with fore and aft transoms. 2010 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 22 Oct. Overload—a hard chined 9.1m Elliott design owned by Scott Randall—finished in 10 hours and 53 minutes. hard cider n. North American an alcoholic drink made from fermented apple juice; = cider n. Additions.Variously contrasted with cider, soft cider, or apple cider, all of which terms are used to denote unfiltered, unfermented apple juice. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > cider > [noun] ciderc1315 pomadec1400 pomacec1450 pommage1576 apple water1606 pomatum1657 hard cider1786 1786 Vermont Jrnl. 25 Apr. 3/2 Take a six quart jug of old hard cider, put therein..one double handful of parsley roots, [etc.]. 1798 F. Asbury Jrnl. 1 Jan. (1821) II. 304 I am now taking an extraordinary diet—drink made of one quart of hard cider,..one handful of fennel seed, and one handful of wormwood. 1840 Congress. Globe 13 Feb. 197/3 He had heard..the same arguments preached nine hundred and ninety-nine times over a barrel of hard cider. 1910 J. Hart Vigilante Girl 207 Did you ever tackle that Jersey beverage called ‘Stone Fence’?.. It's made of whiskey and hard cider. 2008 National Post (Canada) (Nexis) 28 June jv 7 Locally produced fare, including organically grown vegetables, strawberries, apples and, more recently, wine and hard cider. hard clam n. an edible marine bivalve mollusc, Mercenaria mercenaria (family Veneridae), native to the eastern coast of North America; also called quahog, hardshell clam.Contrasted with soft clam n. at soft adj. Compounds 2c. ΚΠ 1825 N.Y. Minerva 16 July 236/1 The myas and the venus, or the soft and hard clams, as the people call them. 1934 F. M. Farmer Boston Cooking-School Cook Bk. xiii. 171 Manhattan Clam Chowder, 1 pint hard clams, finely chopped... 2 cups stewed tomatoes, strained if desired. 2013 Newsday (N.Y.) (Nexis) 16 Oct. a14 Brown tide algae..[have] returned to Long Island's South Shore at a time of year that helps set next spring's hard-clam reproductive season. hard copy n. computer data or text printed on paper; a printed paper version of a digital document or record. ΘΚΠ society > computing and information technology > hardware > peripherals > [noun] > printer > printout printout1953 hard copy1954 dump1956 1954 Proc. Western Computer Conf. 166 The reels of printed dot paper tape are mounted on the output typewriter, read photoelectrically, and the output typewriter types out hard copy at the rate of ten digits per second. 1984 Personal Software Winter 54/2 An option is given for this translation to be output..to a printer for a permanent hard copy. 2008 Magnet No. 79. 10/1 Being something of a Luddite, I still need hard copy for both print and music. hard coral n. any of numerous corals having a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate; (now) spec. those constituting the order Scleractinia, typically found on coral reefs; also as a mass noun; cf. stony coral n. at stony adj. Compounds 3.Contrasted with soft coral n. at soft adj. Compounds 2c. ΚΠ 1822 W. J. Hort Introd. Nat. Hist. 146 The most remarkable of the hard corals is the genus Gorgonia. 1935 Jrnl. Paleontol. 9 95/1 Of present boreal-arctic characteristics may be mentioned:... Absence of hard corals and other reef builders. 2004 Dive Sept. 87/1 A combination of illegal dynamite fishing, the 1997–98 El Niño and a crown-of-thorns infestation decimated the hard coral in the shallows. hard-covered adj. having a hard cover or coating; esp. (of a book) = hardbacked adj. 3. ΘΚΠ society > communication > book > kind of book > book of specific form or colour > [adjective] > having specific type of cover > hard hard-covered1820 boarded1842 casebound1890 hardback1904 hardbacked1906 hardbound1906 hard-shelled1907 hardcover1939 hard-cased1951 1820 N. Georgia Gaz. 14 Feb. 94/2 Bringing the nails of each finger, beginning with the little one, in quick succession.., upon a hard-covered book. 1912 M. E. Hall Candy-making Revolutionized viii. 79 In taste, the grapes are much like the usual hard-covered almonds. 1996 A. Michaels Fugitive Pieces i. 156 I decided on the slim hardcovered Psalms, bound in red leather. 2006 S. Winther Sci. Truth Golf Swing iii. 19 When I started playing golf in 1982, most club golfers played hard-covered balls with solid rubber cores for maximum distance. † hard-dirt n. Obsolete rare broken bricks, rubble, or other solid waste material; cf. hardcore n. 1. ΚΠ 1851 H. Mayhew London Labour II. 281/1 ‘Hard-dirt’, or ‘hard-core’, consisting of the refuse bricks, chimney-pots,..broken bottles,..oyster-shells, &c., which form part of the contents of the dustman's cart. hard doer n. Australian and New Zealand. = hard case n. 3b; cf. doer n. 5.In quot. 1900 with reference to a boat. ΚΠ 1900 Cootamundra (New S. Wales) Herald 4 July Her nose was smashed up and bent in, she did look a hard doer. 1906 Ellesmere (N.Z.) Guardian 29 Aug. 2 Bob's a real hard doer. 1928 Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Feb. 21/1 Give me the real hard-doer, give me the decent chap. 1955 F. Lane Patrol to Kimberleys 85 There was some ruddy hard-doers in the lot-blokes who shunned work like it was the plague. 2013 Sunday Star-Times (Auckland, N.Z.) (Nexis) 8 Sept. 8 He was a hard doer. He was a drinker, he was a smoker, he said it like it was. hard dot n. Printing a dot with a sharp edge, esp. as forming a half-tone image. ΘΚΠ society > communication > printing > printed matter > arrangement or appearance of printed matter > [noun] > specific types of print proclamation-print1592 Geneva print1606 fine print1761 black letter1811 newswork1820 hard dot1913 miniprint1975 1913 Printing Art Nov. 216/2 Very often a negative is required with the highlights closed up fine, with a very fine hard dot in the shadows. 1961 Penrose Ann. LV. 135 (title) The hard-dot positive in gravure. 2008 Graphic Arts Monthly (Nexis) Oct. 20 The design is capable of jetting many types of inks... It gives a good, sharp-edged hard dot, essential to high-end work. hard ecu n. [ < hard adj. + ECU n. at E n.¹ Initialisms] now historical a proposed monetary unit intended to be used alongside European national currencies and managed by a European monetary fund, as an alternative to or intermediate step towards a single European currency; see ECU n. at E n.¹ Initialisms.Proposed by John Major, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 1990, in response to the proposal of the President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, for a single currency and European bank. ΚΠ 1990 Independent 17 May 27/7 Rather than rushing to a common currency a ‘hard’ ECU could be made the point of reference of the system, always as strong as the strongest currency within it. 1990 J. Major in Financial Times 21 June i. 10/4 In my view, the best approach is the creation of a new ‘hard Ecu’. Under this approach the Ecu would no longer be defined as a basket of currencies but would become a genuine currency in its own right. 2005 Financial Times 10 Sept. 8/1 Britain..once proposed a ‘hard ecu’ to compete with Europe's national monies. hard-edge n. a style of abstract painting which came to prominence in the 1960s, characterized by sharply defined geometric shapes and blocks of bright colour; frequently (and in earliest use) attributive. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [noun] > other qualities or styles pastositya1806 touchiness1813 scene painting1834 horror vacui1845 texture1845 daguerreotypism1846 fruitiness1869 tintiness1886 posterishness1930 painterliness1950 non-figuration1955 simultaneity1957 hard-edge1961 figuration1962 colourfield1967 society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [adjective] > other qualities or styles plangent1666 dry1695 sticky1753 flat1755 spotty1798 touchy1809 definitive1815 edgy1825 painty1827 scratchy1827 unideal1838 tinglish1855 generalist1858 tinny1877 Christmas-cardy1883 tinty1883 surfacy1887 chocolate box1892 chocolate-boxy1894 Christmas card1895 juicy1897 candy box1898 pastose1901 busy1909 pompier1914 posterish1914 painterly1932 X-ray1940 illusional1942 all-over1948 figurative1960 hard-edge1961 1959 J. Langsner in Four Abstr. Classicists (Los Angeles County Mus.) 10/2 Classicist painting is hard-edged painting. Forms are finite, flat, rimmed by a hard clean edge.] 1961 J. Canaday in N.Y. Times 26 Jan. l. 59/2 Our precise technicians of ‘hard edge abstraction’ stem more directly from their European ancestors than from these American trail blazers. 1962 Guardian 12 July 6/4 Hard-edge is socially useful..but it is neither art nor painting. 1998 Independent on Sunday 16 Aug. (Culture section) 7/2 Even when Tucker was a hard-edge abstractionist in the 1960s, we suspected that his true master was Rodin. 2013 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 19 Aug. l. 5 Included in the show was a suite of black-and-white paintings: crisply rendered blocks (‘hard-edge’, in abstract-painting terms). hard-edged adj. [compare Old English heardecg hard or sharp of edge] having rigid or sharply defined edges; (also figurative) tough, uncompromising; stark, harsh. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > inflexible ironOE stour1303 strange1338 unmovablea1382 inflexible1398 stoutc1410 unpliablea1425 intreatable1509 stiff1526 stiff-necked1526 unpliant1547 stout-hearted1552 inexorable1553 obstinate1559 strait-laced1560 impersuasible1576 unflexiblea1586 hard-edged1589 adamantive1594 unyielding1594 adder-deaf1597 steeled1600 irrefragable1601 rigid1606 unpersuadable1607 imployable1613 unswayablea1616 uncompellable1623 inflexive?1624 over-rigid1632 unlimbera1639 seta1640 incomplying1640 uncomplying1643 stiff-girt1659 impersuadable1680 unbendinga1688 impracticable1713 unblendable1716 stiff-rumped1728 unconvinciblea1747 uncompounding1782 unplastic1787 unbending1796 adamant1816 uneasy1819 uncompromising1828 cast iron1829 hard-hitting1831 rigoristic1844 ramrod1850 pincé1858 anchylosed1860 unbendable1884 tape-bound1900 tape-tied1900 hard line1903 tough1905 absolutist1907 hard-arsed1942 go-for-broke1946 hardcore1951 hard-arse1966 hard-ass1967 hardball1974 the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [adjective] > having an edge or border > of specific kind > specific fringed1495 hard-edged1589 feathery1792 brown-edged1830 fringy1831 vallate1878 thick-rimmed1976 1589 J. Banister Antidotarie Chyrurg. Table sig. Bb3^v/2 Hard edged vlcers. 1640 T. Carew Poems 102 The hard edg'd Iron did turne Soft as a bed of Roses blowne. 1860 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 1 Feb. 30/2 The spandril, richly coloured in flat, hard-edged shading tints. 1904 Weekly Irish Times 24 Dec. 10/2 Oh, faith, if you look under the surface, you'll discover hard-edged poverty here and there. 1954 J. R. R. Tolkien Two Towers iii. i. 22 Long slopes they climbed, dark, hard-edged against the sky. 1993 N.Y. Times 23 Mar. c18/6 A suburban audience that has been alienated by the hard-edged sound of hip-hop. 2006 Sydney Morning Herald 3 Apr. (Guide section) 22/1 It's pretty hard-edged with plenty to say about street kids and exploitation of juveniles. hard error n. Computing an error from which a system is unable to recover, typically resulting from a hardware fault; a hardware fault causing such an error. ΚΠ 1969 IBM Jrnl. Res. & Devel. 13 460/1 A count of six is taken to mean that the scanning spot is looping, i.e., the failure is deemed by the program to be a ‘hard’ error. 1992 CU Amiga May 187/3 You can never really trust a once-knackered disk again. If you have a hard error (physical damage) the best thing to do is chuck it immediately. 2009 Australian (Nexis) 19 Nov. 3 A non-destructive ‘soft’ error which changes the code in a digital component from, say, a 1 to a 0, or a ‘hard’ error that results in permanent damage. hard facing n. a hard outer or surface layer; (Metallurgy) a coating of a metal resistant to abrasion applied to another, less resistant, metal; the application of such coatings. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > industry > working with specific materials > working with metal > [noun] > protecting metal with coating hard facing1833 1833 Descr. Catal. Animals Zool. Soc. Dublin 68 Whilst the body of the tooth is of a softer substance, nature has provided it with a peculiarly hard facing of enamel. 1840 Jrnl. Amer. Inst. 4 302 This hard facing should be commenced upon the parts of the road most travelled. 1883 U.S. Patent 278,784 1/2 Silver or other white metal..was applied to the inferior metal and highly burnished before applying thereto the hard facing of nickel. 1930 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 122 542 Welded-on overlays or ‘hard facings’ have been applied to drill bits. 2003 Power Mar. 80 (advt.) Trim for the Power Industry: Control valve replacement parts, softgoods,..reverse engineering, specialty welding, hardfacing, precision machining. hard feeling n. (in singular and esp. in plural) resentment or animosity; frequently in no hard feelings, expressing reassurance that no resentment exists towards another; also used as a question to seek such reassurance. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > hatred > [noun] heteeOE nitheeOE fiendshipc900 hatingOE hatec1175 loathnessc1175 foeshipa1200 hatreda1225 foredenc1275 bitterhead1340 enmityc1380 bitternessa1382 haynec1386 enemy1398 heart-burningc1425 affection1485 dislovea1533 pique1532 haturea1563 animosity1568 foehood?1578 animoseness1730 hard feeling1803 dispeace1825 needle1874 bad mind1939 the mind > emotion > anger > indignation or resentment > [noun] wrathc900 disdain1297 indignationc1384 heavinessc1386 gall1390 offencea1393 mislikinga1400 despitec1400 rankling?a1425 jealousyc1475 grudge1477 engaigne1489 grutch1541 outrage1572 dudgeon1573 indignance1590 indignity1596 spleen1596 resentiment1606 dolour1609 resentment1613 endugine1638 stomachosity1656 ressentiment1658 resent1680 umbrage1724 resentfulness1735 niff1777 indignancy1790 saeva indignatio1796 hard feeling1803 grudgement1845 to have a chip on one's shoulder1856 affrontedness1878 spike1890 1803 Connecticut Evangelical Mag. June 456/1 I find an heart to contend with my maker. Yet my conscience testifies, that these hard feelings are wholly wrong. 1845 S. Carolina Temperance Advocate 26 June 204/3 The goods will be freely shown, and no hard feelings, if they do not induce a purchase. 1856 E. G. P. Wilkins Young N.Y. ii. i. 22 Good bye, governor—no hard feelings, I hope. 1899 Minnesota Mag. Sept. 36 There was a good deal of hard feeling toward her among the boys for disappointing them. 1913 Sat. Evening Post 6 Dec. 66/2 ‘That makes us even. No hard feelings? Shake!’ ‘No hard feelings.’ 1965 Times 27 July 10/7 Hard feeling about Sir Alec's resignation is fading as a prejudicial factor. 2005 E. Barr Plan B (2006) xxxii. 345 Andy handed me a cup of tea. ‘Anyways, no hard feelings. She should never have dragged you into it.’ hard finish n. Plastering now chiefly historical the third and final coat of plaster applied to a surface, consisting of a fine, white, lime-based mixture, laid on to a depth of about one-eighth of an inch (approx. 0.3 cm). ΚΠ 1828 Amer. Jrnl. Improvem. 1 150 In the material for the hard finish, which is composed of white sand, lime and plaster, I mix the color suited to the ground of the marble I wish to imitate. 1857 Harper's Mag. Dec. 28/1 The building is a very elegant one, the chunam (hard finish) almost rivaling the marble of the monuments that line the walls. 1915 Pop. Mech. Aug. 291/2 ‘Hard-finish’ plaster generally means a composition of lime putty and plaster of paris, and sometimes marble dust. 1994 Harrowsmith Aug. 12/3 True plastering, in the original sense, is almost a lost art, requiring a scratch coat..of gypsum plaster over metal or wooden lath, a second coat over that and a lime-based hard finish coat. hard finishing n. Plastering now chiefly historical = hard finish n.; (also) the action or process of applying a hard finish. ΚΠ 1730 W. Warren in R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr. (1886) I. 231 The side-walls..of y^e Chapel done with Hard finishing (as 'tis call'd) and Stucco-work. 1853 Latter-Day Saints Millennial Star 27 Aug. 568/1 The plastering and hard-finishing on the outside of the Lord's House was commenced on the 2nd November, 1835. 1902 Bull. Dept. Labor (U.S.) 7 710 Plastering over lath is not practiced in Cuba, and there is little or no hard finishing. 1998 Constr. Hist. 14 11 An elaborate agreement..stipulated the number of coats required in different types of rooms..scratch coating, browning and hard finishing. hardfish n. esp. Scottish dried or salted fish; formerly also †as a count noun (obsolete). [After Anglo-Norman dur pessun (14th cent. or earlier) and (in later Scots use) its apparent early Scandinavian model (compare Old Icelandic harðfiskr (Icelandic harðfiskur)); compare also post-classical Latin piscis durus (from 13th cent. in British sources). In some later instances directly after Icelandic.] ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > seafood > [noun] > fish > cured fish hardfisha1325 cure1883 a1325 Statutes of Realm (2011) xxx. 89 þe hundred of mulewelles ant of hard fisses, contenez of eȝtte score mulewelles. c1436 Domesday Ipswich (BL Add. 25011) in T. Twiss Black Bk. Admiralty (1873) II. 193 Of eche hundred of all maner of hard fyssh [Fr. dur peyscun]. 1512 Househ. Bk. James IV f. 4, in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Hard Coft xl hard fisch pryce x d. 1695 Acomp Expenc Ordination at Newmilles 18 Sept. in Scots Mag. (1890) July 384 For a hard fish..14 [shillings]. 1721 R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scotl. I. 441 Nothing but Snow-water..to drink, and a little hard Fish to eat. 1864 Trans. National Assoc. Promotion Social Sci. 1863 611 Facility of intercourse must gradually work great changes in the Highlands... Every barrel of herrings and ton of hardfish..are now within reach of an easy market. 1955 Mearns Leader 23 Sept. in Sc. National Dict. (1960) at Hard Gowden Win'ers tae ging wi skirlie, or hard fish, or saut herrin', or haggis. 1990 W. D. Valgardson in L. Hutcheon & M. Richmond Other Solitudes 132 Stealing hardfish before it was ready, my cousin stealing butter from his mother's kitchen. 2002 Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 3 Mar. a4 ‘The more hardfish and liver sausage the better,’ said Sigrun Thora McInnes. hard fist n. (a) an unwillingness to part with money (cf. hard-fisted adj.); (b) a willingness and ability to fight; a tough, ruthless approach (cf. iron fist n.). ΚΠ 1840 T. Macqueen Moorland Minstrel 129 Forbidding churl,..whose hard fist ne'er parted with an alms, Unless he hop'd for usury in heaven!] 1844 Punch 7 162/1 Michael Gibbs Mayor! He of the hard fist the Lord of City hospitality! 1863 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 17 Oct. 421/2 The students..must bring not the delicately gloved hand, but the hard fist of determination and perseverance. 1889 Universal Rev. 3 190 Ned's mother was known..for a tight hand and a hard fist if ever there was one; and she'd be bound not to be best pleased to have a penniless lass like Elsie on her hands. 1916 Papers & Proc. Amer. Sociol. Soc. 10 31 The corresponding political achievement may well require the hard fist as well as the brave and generous heart of a Tom Brown among the nations. 1962 Life 7 Sept. 70 a/3 He led his own organization with a hard fist and was not above using Soviet tactics. 2010 Sun (Nexis) 18 Dec. 4 Sir Alex has had to live with this pressure day in, day out for over 24 years and still come out the other side successful. He has done it with equal quantities of a hard fist and a velvet glove. hard-fortuned adj. chiefly poetic (now rare) suffering or characterized by bad luck or difficult circumstances. ΚΠ 1599 R. Linche Fountaine Anc. Fiction sig. Oij The most afflicted and hard-fortuned companions of Vlisses [It. i compagni di Vlisse]. 1607 W. Alexander Trag. Croesus v. ii. sig. L4, in Monarchicke Trag. Whilst this famous Citie was distressed, What could become of the hard-fortun'd King? 1773 G. Howard Siege of Tamor v. 69 I have unduteous long indulg'd a passion, Yet chaste as snow, for an hard-fortun'd youth. 1878 Appleton's Jrnl. 5 395/2 Hard-fortuned Hamish, half blown of his breath with the height of the hill, Was white in the face. 1907 K. L. Bates Amer. Lit. iv. 164 The figures of his melodious tales are old-time Quakers persecuted for their witness,..hard-fortuned maidens like the witch's daughter and the Papist drudge, [etc.]. 1997 B. MacSweeney Bk. Demons 58 I feel the gutter twisting, hard-fortuned carrier of water and nitrates to the unholy earth. hard goer n. (a) a horse or rider possessing considerable stamina, or capable of traversing rough terrain (cf. goer n. 1c) (now chiefly Australian); (b) colloquial a hard-living person; a person whose lifestyle is characterized by overindulgence or vigorous pleasure-seeking (now rare; chiefly Irish English in later use). ΚΠ 1778 Morning Chron. 8 July [She] was a few days ago at the manage, mounted on a very hard goer. 1804 R. Cumberland Sailor's Daughter i. 14 Your master has been a hard goer, and is now pulling up at the end of his journey. 1818 ‘T. Brown’ Brighton II. i. 40 At Oxford, he was a hard goer, and shewed early that he was a fellow of spirit and resource. 1860 Bell's Life in London 29 Jan. 5/5 After a run all go home jolly well pleased, whether he be the hard goer or road rider. 1903 H. S. Krans Irish Life in Irish Fiction iv. 240 A group of rustic hard-goers sleeping off the effects of over-stimulation in a corner. 1943 Irish Times 11 Jan. 3/7 I don't mean the four bottles of stout and a half one for the road people. I mean the hard goers. The ones who would drink whiskey out of a horse-trough. 2004 Advertiser (Brisbane) (Nexis) 20 May 49 She [sc. a filly] is a hard goer, hasn't relaxed over these shorter distances and is likely to appreciate the longer Oaks journey. hard-grained adj. having a hard grain (in various senses); (figurative) tough, gritty; unemotional. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > callous or hard-hearted hard hearteOE steelena1000 hardOE hard-heartedc1225 stony?c1230 yhert1340 dure1412 hardedc1425 induratec1425 stonishc1450 hardenedc1480 steely1508 flinty1536 endured1540 stiff-stomached1540 heartless1556 indured1558 flint-hearted1560 iron1561 marble1565 stone-hearted?1569 stony-hearted1569 iron-hearted1570 steel-hearted1571 rocky?1578 brawned1582 flinted1582 padded1583 obdure?1590 brawny1596 flintful1596 flint-heart1596 steeled1600 cauterized1603 indurated1604 flinty-hearted1629 ahenean1630 dedolent1633 brawny-hearteda1639 hard-grained1643 callous1647 upsitten1682 seared1684 petrified1720 calloused1746 coreless1813 pebble-hearted1816 hard-shelled1848 hard-plucked1857 steel trap1921 1643 J. Caryl Expos. 3 First Chaps. Iob ii. 309 Some Trees keepe their greenesse and their leaves, winter and summer..: Some spirits are like those hard-grain'd trees. 1746 T. Lowndes Seasonable Hint for Pilchard & Coast Fishery 9 Bruising large, hard-grained Salt is attended with a good deal of expensive labour. 1853 C. Dickens Bleak House xxii. 215 A hard-grained man, close, dry, and silent. 1908 Rep. Special Exam. Office President of Bronx 111 In place of hard grained limestone or trap rock, the contractor was using native stone. 1965 L. E. Sweet Peoples & Cultures Middle East (1970) 31 On well-watered slopes grow hard-grained annual grasses like wild emmer wheat. 2006 Guardian (Nexis) 11 Sept. 35 The decathlon,..usually the province of experienced and hard-grained campaigners. hard hand n. now rare a worker in hard silk (see sense A. 1h). ΚΠ 1915 Census Eng. & Wales 1911 X. App. 161 in Parl. Papers 1914–16 (Cd. 7660) LXXXI. 1 Hard Hand. 1921 Dict. Occup. Terms (1927) §399 Hard hand (silk), general term for any worker engaged in treating silk while still hard, i.e., before it is degummed. hard labour n. heavy manual work imposed as a punishment, esp. during a prison sentence. ΘΚΠ society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > [noun] > with hard labour > hard labour hard labour1651 servitude1659 hard1887 1651 All Proc. Sessions of Peace Westm. 20 Iune 9 The Keeper of the sayd house of Correction is heereby strictly required to set the sayd Thomas Kearby to hard labour, and to give him corporall punishment as occasion requireth. 1735 Lives Most Remarkable Criminals III. 158 They carried them before a neighbouring Justice of Peace who presently committed them to Bridewell to hard Labour. 1865 Act 28 & 29 Vict. c. 126 §19 Hard Labour for the Purposes of this Act shall be of Two Classes, consisting, 1st, of Work at the Tread Wheel, Shot Drill, Crank, Capstan, Stone-breaking, or..other like Description of hard bodily labour. 1926 Daily Chron. 13 May 2/6 Three men were each sentenced to three months hard labour for inciting a crowd of people to set fire to a railway motor lorry in the city. 2006 Frankston (Austral.) Standard (Nexis) 6 Mar. 8 He was given hard labour in a road party for using bad language. hard lander n. Astronautics a lander (lander n. 1b) of a type for which a hard landing is usual or expected. ΚΠ 1960 Electr. Engin. Space Technol. (Amer. Inst. Electr. Engineers) 5/2 A lunar hard-lander and a lunar soft-lander may use the same launch vehicle and parts of the same structural frame, even the same mid-course guidance, but there the similarity ends. 2011 S. Hubbard Exploring Mars viii. 105 We pointed out concepts for hard landers, semihard landers, and soft landers, such as those in the Viking style with retro rockets. hard landing n. (a) a landing made with excessive force; (Astronautics) an uncontrolled landing in which a spacecraft is destroyed; (b) Economics an undesirably rapid reduction in economic growth. ΘΚΠ society > travel > air or space travel > action of flying (in) aircraft > specific flying operations or procedures > [noun] > landing > crash landing hard landing1840 crash landing1928 prang1942 1840 Hampshire Advertiser 22 Aug. As he passed ‘No. 5,’ he thus addressed him—‘I'm thinking, Colin, tha'ill be unco hard landing, when I've com to th' bottom.’ 1930 Pop. Mech. Nov. 727/1 Information concerning the strength of tires under heavy loads, hard landings and irregular runways. 1958 Times 28 Mar. 10/3 The first [lunar landing] would be a simple shot, ending either in a ‘hard’ (uncontrolled) landing or a circling of the moon. 1991 Longevity May 94/3 A baby riding in your lap can fly out of your arms and suffer injuries in a hard landing or turbulence. 2000 Wall St. Jrnl. 16 May c16/4 More threatening would be a series of [interest] rate increases leading to a hard landing for the U.S. economy. 2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 6 Apr. (Front section) 27/2 The plane did a hard landing in Pittsburgh, almost tore the wing off. hard lead n. [originally after German †hart Bley (1574 (in the passage translated in quot. 1683) or earlier; now Hartblei)] a lead alloy containing a small amount of antimony (which makes it harder than pure lead). ΚΠ 1683 J. Pettus tr. L. Ercker iii. xvii. 259 (heading) in Fleta Minor i. Six additional Instructions about proving of fresh Oar, called Hard Lead [Ger. hart Bley]. 1881 Trans. Amer. Inst. Mining Engineers 1880–1 9 144 Hard lead, lead containing certain impurities, principally antimony. 2006 A. F. Castle tr. M. Bauser et al. Extrusion (ed. 2) v. 198/1 Lead antimony alloys are referred to as hard lead because the antimony significantly hardens the soft lead. hard liar n. [punningly after hard lyers n.] Nautical humorous rare a sailor receiving hard line money (see hard line n. and adj. Compounds). ΚΠ 1927 Daily Express 10 Oct. 3 Sometimes, in recompense for discomforts endured, the crews of drifters draw what is termed ‘hard-lying money’ (those who receive this are naturally known as ‘hard liars’). hard lyers n. Nautical (now historical) = hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds. [Apparently a folk-etymological alteration (after hard adj. and the plural of lier n.) of hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds.] ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > [noun] > sailor's pay > additional payments primage1476 prime gilt1576 pinch-gut money1660 hat money1676 conduct-money1702 hard line money1886 hard-lying money1890 hard lyers1916 1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin iv. 56 ‘They ain't so bad,’ he murmured. ‘You gits a tanner a day, 'ard lyers in 'em.’ 2003 Daily Tel. 27 May 23/2 He always said that his decision to join the submariners was partly financial because they would get six shillings a day ‘specialist’ money—four shillings a day danger money while at sea and two shillings a day hard lyers. hard-lying money n. Nautical (now historical) = hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds. [Apparently a folk-etymological alteration (after hard adj. and lying n.¹) of hard line money n. at hard line n. and adj. Compounds.] ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > [noun] > sailor's pay > additional payments primage1476 prime gilt1576 pinch-gut money1660 hat money1676 conduct-money1702 hard line money1886 hard-lying money1890 hard lyers1916 1890 Hampshire Tel. & Sussex Chron. 13 Sept. 8/1 For some years an allowance called ‘hard-lying money’ has been paid to officers and men employed in torpedo-boats as some little recognition of the discomfort and danger..of service life. 1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin iv. 56 Men serving in destroyers receive sixpence a day extra pay. It is known as ‘hard-lying money’. 2008 Mariner's Mirror 94 80 A rating could increase his income by service in a submarine, as aircrew or in a ship where hard-lying money was paid. hard man n. colloquial (chiefly British) a man who is (regarded as) particularly tough, aggressive, and self-assured, esp. (a) (Fox-hunting) a hard-riding huntsman, dismissive of physical danger; (b) a man prone to violence, a thug.In some earlier uses difficult to distinguish from more general use (cf. senses A. 2, A. 16a). ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > hunter > hunter of specific animal > [noun] > of fox fox-hunter1692 fox-huntsman1827 pink1828 fox-huntress1829 hard man1835 1835 G. P. R. James Gipsy III. viii. 278 ‘Twenty years cannot change [the truth] as they have done you and me, hard man!’.. ‘Thank God, I can ride as fresh as any man after the hounds, and shirk neither fence nor gate.’ 1892 E. P. Elmhirst Fox-hound, Forest & Prairie 323 If any of the hard men of the Pytchley were there to see the open ditches and five-foot fences of Aintree..they will scorn more than ever our pigmy obstacles. 1949 Cue 23 July 20/3 Howard Duff as Six-Gun Sam is a real hard man in saloon, saddle or stagecoach hold-up. 1964 R. D. Abrahams Deep down in Jungle i. iii. 70 His expression of his ego is in his physical prowess. He is the ‘hard man’, who, because of his strength, accepts the challenges of the world. 1975 Guardian 10 May 10/2 What did have me terrified were the wee Glasgow hard men flashing knives. 1991 Sun 13 June 2/2 Tory hard-man Norman Tebbit warned the Chancellor not to surrender to Brussels. 2006 T. Anderson Riding Magic Carpet (2008) iii. 88 I shit myself straight away, any attempts to play the hard man vanishing instantly. hard mixture n. Brewing (now historical) = multum n. ΚΠ 1856 Pharm. Jrnl. & Trans. 15 525 Cocculus indicus..is used for no other purpose than adulterating beer, and is sold openly to brewers, druggists, and others, sometimes under the name of ‘multum’. Another name occasionally used is ‘hard mixture’. 1909 Practitioner Feb. 266 The mixture of the cocculus with beer..was kept by brewers' druggists, and sold to brewers under the name of ‘multum’ or ‘hard mixture’. hard-nailed adj. having hard nails; (figurative) tough, cynical (cf. hard as nails at nail n. Phrases 5). ΚΠ a1864 J. Clare Poems of Middle Period (2003) V. 352 The boys lye tending horses every where In hard nailed hilos [= high-low boots] open at the toes. 1910 W. de la Mare Three Mulla-mulgars xvii. 232 Long, hairy, hard-nailed toes. 1993 T. Gitlin Sixties (rev. ed.) vii. 173 What I remember most vividly is Howe, the hard-nailed disbeliever, sneering: ‘Could you love a fascist, Tom?’ 2007 E. Baysinger Nine Attempts vi. 94 His legs had been made strong by skateboarding; the left one jerked free of the man's grip while the right one brought a hard-nailed shoe down onto his thumb. hard-necked adj. (and n.) obstinate, inflexible (cf. stiff-necked adj., hard-headed adj.); also (and in earliest use) as n. (with the and plural agreement) obstinate people as a class. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] starkOE moodyOE stithc1000 stidyc1175 stallc1275 harda1382 stubbornc1386 obstinate?1387 throa1400 hard nolleda1425 obstinant?a1425 pertinacec1425 stablec1440 dour1488 unresigned1497 difficultc1503 hard-necked1530 pertinatec1534 obstacle1535 stout-stomached1549 hard-faced1567 stunt1581 hard-headed1583 pertinacious1583 stuntly1583 peremptory1589 stomachous1590 mulish1600 stomachful1600 obstined1606 restive1633 obstinacious1649 opinionated1649 tenacious1656 iron-sided1659 sturdy1664 cat-witted1672 obstinated1672 unyielding1677 ruggish1688 bullet-headed1699 tough1780 pelsy1785 stupid1788 hard-set1818 thick and thin1822 stuntya1825 rigwiddie1826 indomitable1830 recalcitrant1830 set1848 mule-headed1870 muley1871 capitose1881 hard-nosed1917 tight1928 1530 G. Joye tr. M. Bucer Psalter of Dauid f. 200^v The frantike hardnecked do I hate: and thy lawe have I loved. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Baruch ii. F It is an hardnecked people. 1615 H. S. Diuine Dict. 94 Steuen..rebuketh the hard necked Iewes, and is stoned to death. 1797 G. Benjoin Integrity & Excellence of Script. 66 The conduct of a people hard-necked, perverse, passionate, impatient, addicted to idolatry. 1895 C. P. Krauth tr. T. Christlieb in Compl. Preacher I. 21 He shows the same hard-necked defiance and spirit of contradiction. a1945 E. R. Eddison Mezentian Gate (1958) i. 5 He was..hard-necked and unswayable in policy. 1967 Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press 6 May 34/7 The hard-necked and the hard-hearted found the invitation as unpalatable then as they do now. 2013 S. A. Nohrstedt in R. Wodak et al. Right-wing Populism in Europe xxi. 318 The lesson seems to be even more hard-necked resistance to dialogue in any practical sense. † hard nolled adj. Obsolete = hard-necked adj.; cf. nolled adj. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] starkOE moodyOE stithc1000 stidyc1175 stallc1275 harda1382 stubbornc1386 obstinate?1387 throa1400 hard nolleda1425 obstinant?a1425 pertinacec1425 stablec1440 dour1488 unresigned1497 difficultc1503 hard-necked1530 pertinatec1534 obstacle1535 stout-stomached1549 hard-faced1567 stunt1581 hard-headed1583 pertinacious1583 stuntly1583 peremptory1589 stomachous1590 mulish1600 stomachful1600 obstined1606 restive1633 obstinacious1649 opinionated1649 tenacious1656 iron-sided1659 sturdy1664 cat-witted1672 obstinated1672 unyielding1677 ruggish1688 bullet-headed1699 tough1780 pelsy1785 stupid1788 hard-set1818 thick and thin1822 stuntya1825 rigwiddie1826 indomitable1830 recalcitrant1830 set1848 mule-headed1870 muley1871 capitose1881 hard-nosed1917 tight1928 a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Ecclus. xvi. 11 If oon hadde be hard nollid [L. cervicatus], wondur if he hadde be giltles. hard nut n. originally U.S. (a) a difficult question, problem, or undertaking; = a hard nut to crack at nut n.¹ 4 (now somewhat rare); (b) colloquial a person who is difficult or dangerous to deal with; an aggressive or unsentimental person, a tough nut. ΚΠ 1819 Public Ledger & Daily Advertiser 21 Oct. 1/4 A few of the many thousand questions..which might be put to a Deist..may furnish some person with a Hard Nut or two for these sort of folk. 1848 Boston Post 12 Aug. 1/7 When Rev. Mr Burchard, the great revivalist..was a young man he was a hard nut. 1917 Charlotte (N. Carolina) Med. Jrnl. Aug. 78/2 I recruited from the slums of St. Louis: hard nuts who roughed it, day and night. 1938 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 7 July 18/5 He's a hard nut and drives a hard bargain. 1957 Billboard 13 Apr. 39/1 None of the services are known to have come up with quick answers to these hard nuts. 2006 ‘R. C. Brown’ Common as Muck! ii. 43 Once I'd gained a reputation as the third-best fighter, every other hard nut in the school wanted to have a go at me. hardpack n. highly compacted snow, sand, etc. (frequently attributive); cf. hard-packed adj. at hard adv. Compounds 1d(b). ΚΠ 1894 Cosmopolitan May 32/1 The steady current at its base cuts off masses of hard-pack sand that fall bodily into the water. 1895 Watchman 10 Jan. 18/2 Light snow..lay on the frozen crust... The runners cut deep in the hard pack. 1942 Boys' Life Nov. 6/2 He could listen to the whirring, spitting rush of steel-edged hickory on the hardpack which always thrilled him. 1990 S. King Stand (new ed.) i. v. 39 They went down to the beach, over the warming sand to the darker brown hardpack. 2006 Snowboard Jrnl. No. 10. 116/1 Even though I had been snowboarding for three years..and could make turns in powder, I couldn't turn on hardpack snow. hard-pad n. a condition affecting mainly dogs, characterized by thickening and hardening of the skin of the pads (and often of the nose), resulting from infection with the virus causing canine distemper; the disease distemper itself; frequently attributive, esp. in hard-pad disease. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of dogs > [noun] formicac1400 running woodnessa1425 founder1547 distemper1746 blotch1824 kennel lameness1841 foul1854 dog ill1874 salmon disease1880 piblokto1894 strongyloidiasis1907 strongyloidosis1907 salmon poisoning1925 hard-pad1948 Rubarth's disease1951 canine parvovirus1972 parvovirus1979 1948 A. B. MacIntyre et al. in Vet. Rec. 28 Feb. 103/1 We now recognise a condition which we have tentatively called ‘hard pad disease’. 1958 New Yorker 22 Feb. 31/3 Even the fact that foxes are now carrying a disease called hardpad is insufficient reason for shooting a fox. 2007 D. M. Eldredge et al. Dog Owner's Home Vet. Handbk. (ed. 4) 73 Hard-pad is much less common than it was in the past, due to better vaccines and increased use of vaccines. hard palate n. [after scientific Latin palatum durum (1765 in the source translated in quot. 1779, or earlier)] the anterior part of the palate, consisting of a bony plate covered on its lower surface by the mucous membrane of the mouth and on its upper surface by the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity; = bony palate n. at bony adj. Compounds. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > mouth > [noun] > palate > hard palate bony palate1748 hard palate1779 1779 tr. A. von Haller First Lines Physiol. xi. 141 By the mouth, we mean that large and irregularly shaped cavity between the soft and hard palate [L. inter palatum molle & durum]. 1890 H. Sweet Primer of Phonetics 8 The roof of the mouth consists of two parts, the ‘soft’ and the ‘hard’ palate. 2006 F. Baker & J. Tamplin Music Therapy Methods v. 140 Linguapalatals—when the part of the tongue just back from its tip is pressed against the hard palate. hard paste n. the material from which hard porcelain is made (see sense A. 1j); frequently attributive. ΚΠ 1848 H. R. Forster Stowe Catal. 6 The celebrated Porcelain of Dresden, or more properly, Meissen,..is the most choice..of German fabrication. The material is termed ‘hard paste’. 1869 C. Schreiber Jrnl. (1911) I. 44 A bird on a raised sort of foot, possibly hard paste English. 1879 J. J. Young Ceramic Art 55 There is..very little difference in hardness between the hard-paste and the soft-paste. 1968 Canad. Antiques Collector Aug. 27/1 Hard-Paste porcelain is unaffected by the file where it is ‘free from the glaze’. 2003 Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) (Nexis) 6 Feb. 7 White pate dure (hard paste) porcelain figures by E. M. Falconet are also on display. hard pewter n. a lead-free pewter, typically containing tin, antimony, and copper. ΚΠ 1734 S.-Carolina Gaz. 7 Dec. 2/2 Imported from London... Several sorts of hard pewter, Cherry Brandy, Damsen brandy, & several pieces of houshold furnitures. 1834 Trans. Soc. Arts 50 146 Let a back..be prepared of hard pewter, two-thirds the diameter of the speculum. 2009 G. Rapp Archaeomineralogy (ed. 2) vii. 177 If small amounts of copper are added, a hard pewter is formed, while small amounts of antimony lead to a silvery luster. hard point n. a strengthened region on an aircraft where an external load, such as attached weapons or fuel tanks, is to be allowed for. ΚΠ 1959 Aviation Week 7 Dec. 10 (advt.) Sikorsky S-64—new 8-ton payload turbine-powered flying crane... Where landings are possible, cargo can be attached by cable to four hard points on the fuselage. 1991 Sky Warriors 1 ii. 47/1 2.5-inch rockets can be carried on six under-wing hard points. 2012 P. G. Fahlstrom & T. J. Gleason Introd. UAV Syst. (ed. 4) xi. 162 The mass supported by the hard points includes both the weapons and their launchers or racks. hard power n. power (of a nation state, alliance, etc.) characterized by a coercive approach to international relations, often involving military action; cf. soft power at soft adj. Compounds 2a. ΚΠ 1990 J. S. Nye Bound to Lead i. 33 If it can help support institutions that encourage other states to channel or limit their activities in ways the dominant state prefers, it may not need as many costly exercises of coercive or hard power in bargaining situations. 2007 Independent 8 Feb. 33/5 Instead of displaying America's mailed fist in all its might to crush terrorists and reshape the Middle East, Washington has actually shown the limitations of US hard power and the penalties of acting on its own. hard R adj. (and n.) originally U.S. designating a film with adult content at the upper end of the R (= restricted) rating (see R n. 16r, and the next level NC-17 n. at N n. Initialisms 1); also (and in earliest use) as n.: a film of this kind.Also in extended use designating a television show with similar content. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > film show > [adjective] > classification for viewing U1922 G1966 X-rated1970 hard R1974 society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [noun] > pornographic film stag movie1960 pornie1965 skin-flick1965 stag film1968 porno1971 hard R1974 society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > a film > type of film > [adjective] > other types costumed1851 foreign language1904 first run1910 Keystone1912 photodramatic1914 serial1915 coming of age1919 edge-of-your-seat1922 psychodramatic1927 omnibus1928 straight1936 low-budget1937 no-budget1937 screwball1937 Ealing1939 blockbusting1943 private eye1946 film noir1952 white telephone1952 portmanteau1953 uncut1953 anthology1955 three-D1955 Hammer1958 noir1958 co-production1959 kitchen sink1959 kidult1960 docudrama1961 cinéma vérité1963 maudit1963 filmi1965 indie1968 triple-X1969 XXX1969 drama-documentary1970 cheapie1973 gross-out1973 high concept1973 chopsocky1974 hard R1974 buddy movie1975 sci-fi1977 mondo1979 hack-and-slash1981 microbudget1981 hack-and-slay1982 slice-and-dice1982 fly on the wall1983 psychotronic1983 noirish1985 Mad Max1986 stoner1987 bonkbusting1993 straight to DVD1997 1974 Washington Post 3 Mar. e9/5 Meyer is shooting ‘Vixens’ as a ‘hard R’ (which does not mean it contains hard-core footage) and the other an X. 1981 N.Y. Times 8 Nov. (New Jersey Weekly section) 36/2 Concerned about the spread of ‘adult’ entertainment on cable television, the state is considering regulating programming of the so-called ‘hard R’ shows. 2011 Guardian (Nexis) 20 Aug. (Final ed.) (Guide Suppl.) 19 Here is a hard-R horror franchise fanatically sculpted and souped up to appeal to the volatile, impatient demographic once called the teen drive-in crowd. hard rubber n. rubber that has been hardened by vulcanizing; cf. vulcanite n. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > rubber materials > [noun] > vulcanized rubber hard rubber1855 vulcanite1856 ebonite1861 vulcanizate1916 1855 U.S. Patent 12,301 2/2 The material I use in constructing the tubes, screws, cap, and spring of my improved fountain-pen is Goodyear's patented hard rubber. 1974 Rules of Game vi. 111 The pelota has a hard rubber core, covered with a layer of linen thread and two layers of goatskin. 2005 Blink Feb. 56/2 Earphones are crafted from anodised aluminium and hard rubber giving them both flexibility and robust durability. hard sauce n. originally and chiefly U.S. a sauce made by creaming butter and sugar together, usually having a stiff consistency and often containing brandy, rum, etc.; cf. brandy-butter n. at brandy n. Compounds 2, rum butter n. at rum n.² Compounds 3. [So called because the sauce hardens when chilled, but perhaps also popularly associated with the alcohol it often contains (compare sense A. 23a).] ΚΠ 1846 C. E. Beecher Domestic Receipt Bk. xiii. 129 Hard Sauce. Two tablespoons of butter. Ten tablespoons of sugar. Work this till white, then add wine and spice to your taste. 1939 A. L. Simon Conc. Encycl. Gastron. I. 29/2 In U.S.A., a Hard Sauce is made with one measure of fresh butter to two of castor sugar... A squeeze of lemon is then added... It is usual, in some States,..to add some Brandy or Rum. 1980 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 13 Dec. Mince pies with brandy hard sauce for dessert. 2011 B. Edwards & M. Olivella From Tree to Table ix. 147 The hard sauce should start to melt a little as you serve the warm pudding. hard-selling n. aggressive advertising, salesmanship, or promotion; cf. hard sell n. ΚΠ 1929 K. M. Goode How to Turn People into Gold x. 134 Any man content to sell an article they really want only to people who really want it should always enjoy a profit—if he doesn't spend too much finding his prospects. Hard selling doesn't pay. 1960 Economist 8 Oct. 158/2 The current slump in sales has also prompted many firms to return to the ‘hard-selling’ practices of earlier recessions. 1998 Independent 5 Aug. i. 5/3 Its investigations into second-hand goods being sold as if new, and hard-selling of extended warranties. hardshot n. New Zealand colloquial = hard case n. 3b. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > unconformity > abnormality > [noun] > oddness > odd person singularist1593 singularitan1615 queer fellow1712 oddity1731 unaccountable1748 character1773 rum1788 eccentric1832 card1835 card1853 hard case1892 queer shot1900 rummy1909 hard thing1918 hardshot1924 quaint1939 odd bod1942 oddball1943 joker in the pack1963 quirky1975 1924 Auckland Star 15 Nov. 19/4 He was quite angry when someone referred to him as ‘a hard shot’. 1959 G. Slatter Gun in my Hand 91 He's a hard shot. Yeah, he's a woopkacker all right. 2010 Press (Christchurch, N.Z.) (Nexis) 27 Nov. (Features section) 2 No doubt the 29 had their share of hardshots and teak-tough blokes but their ordinariness is more the distinguishing feature. hard shoulder n. British a hardened strip running along the nearside lane of a motorway, on which the driver of a vehicle may stop in an emergency. ΘΚΠ society > travel > means of travel > route or way > way, path, or track > road > parts of road > [noun] > shoulder soft shoulder1917 shoulder1933 hard shoulder1952 1952 Hansard Commons 4 July 888 This road will be built with dual carriage ways, each containing three 12-ft. traffic lanes with what is technically called a hard shoulder on each side and a central reservation. 1973 Scotsman 12 Jan. 11/4 Twenty-six of the accidents were on the inside lane or hard shoulder. 2006 S. Ings Weight of Numbers 41 The radio said something about a spilled load, and a couple of fire trucks..slid sedately past us on the hard shoulder. hard-skinned adj. having a hard skin or outer coat; (also figurative) = thick-skinned adj. 2. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > shameless or thick-skinned shamelessc897 hard-skinnedc1450 past shame1509 unblushing1595 steel-browed1600 thick-skinned1602 dead to shame1780 case-hardened1836 unsnubbable1847 hard-shelled1848 pachydermatous1849 hard-boiled1884 armour-plated1887 tough-minded1927 chalcenterous1946 chalcenteric1964 c1450 tr. Secreta Secret. (Royal) 32 (MED) Kepe the fro fische þat is hard skynned. 1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Hard skynned, duricorius. 1629 T. Jackson Treat. Divine Essence i. 5 A company of children, driving an hungry hard-skinned Asse with bats or staves out of a corne-field. 1745 tr. L. J. M. Columella Of Husbandry xii. xliii. 546 He ordered..the thick and hard-skinned grapes to be gathered. 1839 Gardener's Mag. Oct. 577 The hard-skinned Cape bulbs and tuberous pelargonia will live in the open border. 1902 Daily Chron. 2 Sept. 3/1 I would get an agile and hard-skinned man to field the novels as they come. 2008 M. Zabludoff Beetles vi. 83 As long, skinny, hard-skinned larvae, they gnaw at the roots of many crops. hard-sold adj. aggressively advertised or promoted; cf. hard-sell v. ΚΠ 1960 Economist 8 Oct. 172/1 The fuel-economy services offered by the coal and oil industries to sell their products may not prove serious competition for an independent organisation like Nifes, which may end up refereeing between them for hard-sold firms. 2007 N.Y. Sun (Nexis) 3 Oct. 21 The piccolini don't fill a particular hunger.., as the restaurant's dinner portions are already grotesquely large. It just feels like a hard-sold boost to Centro's bottom line. hard solder n. solder that melts at a relatively high temperature, typically made of copper with either zinc or silver and used for brazing. ΚΠ 1634 J. Bate Myst. Nature & Art 162 There are two kindes of Sodder, to wit, hard Sodder, and soft Sodder. The soft Sodder runneth sooner then the hard. 1873 E. Spon Workshop Receipts 1st Ser. 364 2 parts of good silver and 1 of ordinary brass pins, well melted, is a good, useful jewellers' hard solder. 2002 R. D. Treloar Plumbing: Heating & Gas Installations (ed. 2) i. 46 There are several types of hard solder including silver, silver alloys with varying percentages of copper, and the cheaper-to-purchase copper/phosphorus alloys. hard solderer n. a person proficient at brazing using hard solder. ΚΠ 1861 Corporation Gen. & Trades Directory Birmingham 253/1 Parker William, hard solderer, 43, Inge st. 1909 Sioux County (Iowa) Herald 14 Apr. A union of hard solderers of New York has been organized. 1998 A. Donagi et al. in Encycl. Occup. Health & Safety (Internat. Labour Office) (ed. 4) IV. 103.31 Solderer and brazer. Synonyms: Soldering equipment operator; hard-solderer; silver-solderer;..brazier. hard soldering n. the use of hard solder; brazing. ΚΠ 1810 Tradesman Mar. 194 It [sc. borax] is used in hard soldering, laying hold of the surface of the metals. 1902 Young Engineer 1 104 The art of soldering may be divided into two distinct classes—soft soldering,..and hard soldering, in which the solders are composed of gold, silver, copper, zinc, or brass. 2003 D. Carlson Revise OCR GCSE Resistant Materials 50 Silver or hard soldering is used in beaten or decorative metalwork. hard sphere n. chiefly Physics (as a concept in theoretical models) an idealized sphere that is perfectly hard, inelastic, and impenetrable. ΚΠ 1806 O. G. Gregory Treat. Mech. I. i. vi. 139 We conceive of a vault or arch in equilibrio to be composed of a series of very small hard spheres, of polished surfaces, touching one another. 1847 J. Herapath Math. Physics I. i. iii. 114 Suppose a hard sphere, moving freely with a given velocity, strike directly upon a hard fixed body. 1917 Physical Rev. 10 678 The so-called hexagonal close-packing..is one of the two alternative arrangements which the atoms would assume if they were hard spheres. 2012 M. Mézard & G. Parisi in P. G. Wolynes & V. Lubchenko Struct. Glasses & Supercooled Liquids iv. 187 Packings of hard spheres have a wider interest: they are related to important problems in information theory. hardstand n. a paved parking area, esp. one designed for the use of aircraft or other heavy vehicles; cf. hardstanding n. ΚΠ 1944 N.Y. Times 13 Feb. (Mag.) 9/2 The men on the hardstand watch each plane with interest. 1994 Camping Mag. Jan. 47/4 (advt.) Level grass or hard stands with all services. 2001 Today's Pilot Feb. 26/1 Glatton was given the standard three runway layout of a heavy bomber airfield, along with associated taxiways and hardstands. hardstanding n. chiefly British ground, or an area of ground, which is paved or otherwise reinforced for the parking of vehicles; spec. = hardstand n. ΘΚΠ society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [noun] > a parking place > area where caravans may be parked > for lorries hardstanding1940 lorry park1968 1940 Scotsman 29 Jan. 5/6 On no account are vehicles to be moved off a good road or hard standing. 1957 Times 1 Mar. 9/6 These are certainly the aircraft which one sees on the hardstanding. 1960 Guardian 19 May 1/6 The rural council intends to provide hard-standing for caravans. 2005 H. Mantel Beyond Black vii. 217 She skipped out of the sales caravan and across the hardstanding to where the car was parked. hardstep n. originally British a type of electronic dance music, derived from drum and bass and influenced by soul and reggae; frequently (and in earliest use) attributive. ΚΠ 1995 Re: Hardcore Awards in alt.rave (Usenet newsgroup) 14 Feb. Definately [sic] Grooverider (the hardstep king!) or the Fabio! 1995 Melody Maker 25 Mar. 27/1 The hyper-soul ‘hardstep’ of Hidden Agenda. 1998 Washington Post (Electronic ed.) 15 June An abbreviated set that featured hard-step beats sewn into an assortment of musics. 2013 Express & Echo (Exeter) (Nexis) 3 Oct. 12 Zinc's career as a DJ and producer stretches the steady evolution of hardcore from its house and rave roots through ragga and hip hop styled hardstep and beyond. hard stock n. a brick which is over-burnt and consequently discoloured, but is otherwise sound; also hard stock brick. ΚΠ 1759 Public Advertiser 17 May To be sold..Exceeding good hard Stock Bricks. 1879 Notes Building Constr. III. 105 Hard Stocks are overburnt bricks, sound, but considerably blemished both in form and colour. 1979 I. H. Seeley Building Quantities Explained (ed. 3) iv. 50 (in figure) 327.5 mm brick wall in 2nd. hard stocks. 2008 Brickwork: NVQ & Techn. Certificate Level 2 (ed. 2) xvii. 299 Common bricks can be used to weather the top of a wall, however it is advisable to use a hard stock brick or engineering type of brick. hard stuff n. (chiefly with the) (a) U.S. slang hard cash, esp. coins; (b) colloquial (strong) alcoholic drink, esp. spirits. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > [noun] water of life?c1450 burning watera1475 watera1475 aqua vitae1542 spirit1559 strong water1615 hot waters1616 spirituous liquor1659 spirit1663 fire1707 tape1725 strunt1786 hard stuff1789 firewater1799 fool's water1815 fool water1837 spirituous liquor1842 timber-doodle1842 lightning1858 1789 S. Low Politician Outwitted iv. i. 46 Money trash! Ready Rhino trash! Golden..money! I'm sure he cou'dn't mean the hard stuff. 1832 Hill's Life New S. Wales (Sydney) 6 July 4 Lots of swizzle, hard stuff, two waters, heavy wet, ‘weed’, and long steamers, were the last act. 1848 Western Lit. Messenger 15 Apr. 170/1 One of the emigrant Germans who came up in the Duchess having the nice little sum of $150 in the hard stuff..rolled it up nicely in a rag. 1925 S. C. Howard They knew what they Wanted i. 28 I got nothing against beer or vino, but the hard stuff don't do nobody any good. 1950 H. E. Goldin Dict. Amer. Underworld Lingo 97/2 Hard stuff, coins; change as distinguished from bills. ‘Stick the soft (bills) in your kick (pocket) and the hard stuff in the bag.’ 2003 D. Boyle Little Money Bk. 51/1 We have to be careful with e-cash. If there is less of the hard stuff in circulation, then there's less for the poorest people who rely on it most. 2011 Time Out N.Y. 21 Apr. 23/3 There's an intensely flavorful chicken-liver sandwich that stands up to a slug of the hard stuff. hard swearing n. Law (now historical) persistent swearing (as a witness) to the truth of a particular statement, regardless of strong claims or evidence as to its falsity; (hence euphemistic) perjury; cf. false swearing at swearing n. 1. ΘΚΠ society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > specific offences > [noun] > perjury forswornnessc1000 manathOE false swearingc1200 misswarec1225 forswearing1340 perjurea1393 perjurya1393 manswearingc1400 manswornc1400 perjurementc1450 misswearing1496 perjuration1570 pejeration1650 hard swearing1731 rapping1743 1731 ‘W. Egerton’ Faithful Mem. Mrs. Anne Oldfield 132 Though we..made our Case good by the Depositions of Persons whose Characters and Reputations are unquestionable, they have not stuck to overthrow, if hard Swearing may do it, every Point that should be essential to us. 1837 J. Mudie Felony New S. Wales xiv. 249 Where hard swearing is required, it is not difficult in such a place as New South Wales, to find men who will swear to any thing. 1895 Irish Law Times 3 Aug. 378/1 Of course there is much hard swearing which is not perjury. Memory is a treacherous faculty. 2012 M. Roberts Secret Hist. 131 The trials were thus a matter of hard swearing by both sides. hard thing n. New Zealand colloquial = hard case n. 3b. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > unconformity > abnormality > [noun] > oddness > odd person singularist1593 singularitan1615 queer fellow1712 oddity1731 unaccountable1748 character1773 rum1788 eccentric1832 card1835 card1853 hard case1892 queer shot1900 rummy1909 hard thing1918 hardshot1924 quaint1939 odd bod1942 oddball1943 joker in the pack1963 quirky1975 1918 Chrons. N.Z.E.F. 7 June 204 Without a smoke he was a hard thing. 1988 D. McGill Dict. Kiwi Slang 55 Polt's been up in that old whare for years, never spoken to a soul... Hard thing, that Polt. 2012 Dominion Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Nexis) 6 Dec. (Sport section) 14 He was certainly a livewire; he was around us a lot and he was a bit of a hard thing. hard ticket n. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.) a person who is difficult or dangerous to deal with; an unscrupulous person; cf. hard case n. 3b. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [noun] > that which is difficult > a difficult thing or person sluta1475 nut1540 Tartar1669 bitch1699 handful1755 tickler1825 pebble1829 hard ticket1847 tough nut1862 bear1876 Roger1885 trier1893 peb1903 heller1923 pawful1925 honey1932 sod1936 toughie1945 motherfucker1948 hard-arse1966 1847 Spirit Times 15 May 132/1 Simon B**..was a ‘hard ticket’ at a bargain, as well as a scrape or frolic. 1904 J. C. Lincoln Cap'n Eri* xii. 223 ‘Old Laban Simpkins that lived 'round here one time,’ he said, ‘was a mighty hard ticket. Drank rum by the hogshead, pounded his wife till she left him, and was a tough nut gin'rally.’ 1997 C. Brookmyre Country of Blind (2001) ix. 234 ‘Belter’ Burns, a weasel-eyed and nasal-toned hard-ticket from the big school, was heading his way,..smoking as demonstratively as possible. hard time n. originally U.S. slang time spent in prison, esp. as part of a long sentence served for a serious crime (cf. time n. 8b); frequently in to do (also serve) hard time. ΘΚΠ society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > [noun] > sentence or term of time1790 lagging1819 stretch1821 model1845 birdlime1857 penal1864 prison sentence1867 rap1870 bit1871 spot1895 hard time1896 sleep1911 jolt1912 bird1924 fall1926 beef1928 trick1933 porridge1950 custodial sentence1951 1896 Burlington (Iowa) Hawk-eye 30 Dec. 4/5 Oscar Barrett produced five pantomimes this year, and any criminal doing hard time had an easier December than this man. 1929 G. L. Hostetter & T. Q. Beesley It's a Racket! 227 Hard time, a long sentence to prison. 1965 News Jrnl. (Mansfield, Ohio) 23 Oct. 5/6 O'Toole..served hard time in Oregon but after his release became a successful businessman. 1989 Paris (Texas) News 10 Mar. 9 a/1 Men and women who are doing time—some of them hard time for serious crimes. 2012 K. Bleyer Me the People 278 These inmates had been sentenced to do hard time for their crimes; they hadn't signed up to be broadcast to the world doing it. hard tube n. Electronics a discharge tube with a hard vacuum, or evacuated sufficiently for any remaining gas not to affect its performance; cf. sense A. 25. ΚΠ 1898 Science 22 Apr. 565/1 The same body has different transparencies with different tubes, ‘soft tubes’ being those requiring a small potential and ‘hard tubes’ those requiring a high one. 1947 J. V. Lebacqz & M. G. White in L. N. Ridenour Radar Syst. Engin. x. 373 Successful hard-tube pulsers have been made with power outputs up to 3 or 4 Mw. 2012 Appl. Surface Sci. 258 9565/2 The negative voltage with two different amplitudes of 3 kV and 10 kV was provided by a hard tube (HT) pulser and applied to the sample holder. hard twist n. and adj. (a) n. a yarn, etc., twisted very tightly in spinning; (also) a tight twist given to a yarn in spinning; (b) adj. (of yarn) spun with a tight twist, hard-spun; (of a fabric) made from such yarn. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > thread or yarn > [noun] > spun > in specific way > twisted > in specific way hard twist1664 weft-way1888 1664 R. Hooke Let. 15 Sept. in R. Boyle Wks. (1772) VI. 490 The line [of the pendulum] was a treble hard twist, one about the bigness of a very small goose-quill. 1819 A. Rees Cycl. XXII. at Manufacture of Cotton What is called hard twist, must be twisted two threads together, as is also stocking-yarn. 1897 Sears, Roebuck Catal. No. 104. 186/1 This suit is made from genuine Michigan hard twist cassimere. 1922 Amer. Wool & Cotton Reporter 20 Apr. 915/1 A decided shrinkage is noted for that fabric which contains hard twist. 1963 A. J. Hall Student's Handbk. Textile Sci. iii. 114 Much the same considerations apply in a multi-ply yarn if the two or more single yarns present are only slightly or highly twisted (often referred to as soft and hard twist) together. 2014 E. Cadigan Sourcing & Selecting Textiles for Fashion ii. 52 Depending on the amount of turns-per-inch (TPI), a soft twist or hard twist yarn is created... Hard twist yarns have more durability. hard valve n. Electronics (now chiefly historical) a thermionic valve or tube with a hard vacuum, or evacuated sufficiently for any remaining gas not to affect its performance; cf. sense A. 25. ΚΠ 1917 Wireless World 5 219/1 The ‘soft’ valve will require a lower voltage battery in the plate circuit than with a ‘hard’ valve... Some very ‘hard’ valves are at present being successfully used in which a high voltage direct current dynamo is used in the plate circuit. 1953 F. G. Spreadbury Design Electronic Measuring Instruments 16 Most instruments employ hard valves and make use of rectification. 2003 W. D. Hackmann in J. L. Heilbron Oxf. Compan. Hist. Mod. Sci. 819/2 In 1913, Harold Arnold of the American Western Electric Company made the first successful high-vacuum or ‘hard’ valve. hard waste n. waste that is difficult to reuse for any reason; spec. waste yarn or thread that is much twisted or sized. ΚΠ 1821 Leeds Mercury 27 Oct. (advt.) One Devil, for Hard Waste. 1870 Mechanics' Mag. 18 Feb. 143/2 Improvements in the utilisation of the dried or hard waste made in the process of wet flax spinning. 1937 E. M. Grey Weaver's Wage i. 1 The Rossendale weavers, being engaged in the hard-waste trade, for which there is a separate wages list, felt that they were not directly concerned with the inquiry. 2010 K. Ram in J. Singh & A. Ramanathan Solid Waste Managem. xxvii. 250 Heaps of hard waste of slag left after metal is separated from ore. hardway n. a foreshore, a landing place; = sense B. 3.Now only in the names of various streets or place names adjacent to a landing or embarkation place, esp. in Hampshire. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > berthing, mooring, or anchoring > harbour or port > [noun] > landing-place strand1205 arrivala1450 slip1467 pow1481 arrivagea1500 landing-place1512 shore1512 landing1601 scale1682 bunder1698 gat1723 hard1728 loadberry1764 hardway1785 1785 W. Tracey Candid Narr. Operations to raise Royal George 3 I brought the Diligente from her Moorings from off the Hardway to the Dock Jetties at my own Expence. 1817 W. Selwyn Abridgem. Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 938 The ship was first moored off the beach, in order to clear her bottom; she was then removed to Hardway. 1865 Cornhill Mag. Apr. 467 The owner was walking on the beach, or hardway, at the mouth of the river whither the Ellen was bound. 1922 List Lights Brit. Islands IV. 52 Brightlingsea, inner end of hardway. 2004 This is Hampshire (Nexis) 1 June Thousands of troops rolled through the town en route to Stokes Bay, Beach Street and Hardway in Gosport for embarkation. hard-witted adj. †(a) lacking in intelligence, slow-witted (obsolete); (b) shrewd, businesslike. ΚΠ c1450 J. Metham Physiognomy in Wks. (1916) 140 A ryght hasty man and a hard-wyttyd. a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) i. f. 4 When they meete with a hard witted scholer, they rather breake him, than bowe him. 1677 G. Miege New Dict. French & Eng. i. sig. Dd4^v/2 Dur d'esprit, hard-witted,..slow of apprehension. 1741 J. Serenius Dictionarium Suethico-Anglo-Latinum* 36/2 Dumb,..artless, dull, hardwitted. 1841 I. D'Israeli Amenities Lit. III. 102 His hard-witted and unpliant faculties..when thrown amid the supernatural and the ideal seemed suddenly deserted of their powers. 1852 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 3 Jan. 9/2 The papa..was a hard-witted, busy lawyer. 1911 Americana Nov. 1111 A surly, shrewd, hard-witted old booklover's devotion to his librarian's business. 2003 Weekend Austral. (Nexis) 22 Mar. b1 Merrymakers come in all shapes and sizes, most of them insecure and baffled by their choice of livelihood but all of them hard-witted kidders. hard yards n. (a) Sport (originally American Football) progress made on the field against strong opposition; (b) figurative (originally Australian and New Zealand) great effort; difficult, arduous, or unglamorous work; frequently in to do (also make, put in) the hard yards. ΚΠ 1955 Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News 19 Dec. 2 b/3 When the hard yards were needed Wills was the answer. 1977 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 5 Sept. (Football section) 2/1 The Bengals have a piledriving runner for the hard yards. 1989 Canberra Times 1 Sept. (League Times) 3/1 Brisbane ran sideways too much without getting the hard yards up the middle. 1991 Sun Herald (Sydney) (Nexis) 18 Aug. 15 We've done the hard yards on this issue [sc. republicanism] when it wasn't popular. 1997 E. Gruver Amer. Football League vii. 112 Garron became an inside runner who earned the hard yards. 2009 N. Marsh Billionaire's Baby iv. 72 I worked hard, got the right contacts, put in the hard yards, and it paid off. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). † hardv. Forms: Old English heard (past participle, in prefixed forms), Old English heardian, Old English heordian (rare), late Old English hærdian (in prefixed forms), early Middle English hardi, early Middle English hardie, early Middle English headie (transmission error), early Middle English heardi, early Middle English heardie, Middle English harden (past participle), Middle English herd, Middle English herrde, Middle English yhert (south-eastern, past participle), Middle English–1500s harde, Middle English–1800s hard. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch, Dutch harden , Old Saxon hardōn (Middle Low German harden ), Old High German hartēn , (with different stem class) hartōn (Middle High German harten ), all in sense ‘to be or become hard’ < the Germanic base of hard adj. Compare harden v., which is now the usual word in all senses.In Old English a weak verb of Class II and chiefly intransitive. The corresponding Class I weak verb hierdan to make hard, to strengthen, to embolden, apparently does not survive into Middle English; compare Old Frisian herda to strengthen, to confirm, to prove, (with prefix) Old Saxon giherdian to strengthen (a person's heart) (Middle Low German herden to make hard), Old High German hartian , (with i-mutation) hertan to make hard, (reflexive) to become bold (Middle High German herten , German härten ), Old Icelandic herða to make (a sword) hard, to strengthen (a person's heart), Old Swedish (Gotland) herþa to carry out (a plan) with obstinate determination, (with prefix) Gothic gahardjan to make (a person's heart) callous. In Old English the prefixed form geheardian to become hard, to make callous (compare y- prefix) is also attested; compare also aheardian to be or become hard, to make callous, (in passive) to be emboldened, to be obstinately persistent (compare a- prefix¹), forheardian forhard v., wiþheardian to make callous (compare with- prefix). Old English aheardian is more frequent than the simplex and it (and geheardian ) are attested earlier in some senses (compare quots. at senses 3, 4, and 5). With harded adj. at Derivatives compare Old English aheardod, adjective. Obsolete. 1. intransitive. To be or become hard (in various senses of the adjective). ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > become hard [verb (intransitive)] hardeOE hardenc1350 obdure1609 indurate1626 obdurate1659 accrust1881 eOE (Mercian) Vespasian Psalter: Canticles & Hymns (1965) v. 10 Gelauerunt fluctus in medio mare : heardadon yde in midre sae. OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) i. 34 Seoð þonne þa wyrte oðþæt heo heardige. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 163 Vre lauerd spareð an earest þe ȝeunge & þe feble..Sonse [i.e. sone se] he sið ham harden. he let worre awakenen. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Psalms lxxxix. 6 Inwardli harde he, and waxe drie. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. lxi. 1323 Wexe melteþ..in hete, and hardeth in colde. a1450 in T. Austin Two 15th-cent. Cookery-bks. (1888) 47 (MED) Put þe cofyns in þe ovyn, & late hem harde a lytel. 2. transitive. To make (something) physically hard or robust; to solidify, strengthen, etc. Also intransitive.In quot. 1844: = to harden off at harden v. 12. ΚΠ eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. x. 188 Þæt wyrmð and heardaþ þone magan. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. vii. 1119 And [bores] hardeþ here schieldes wiþ frotynge aȝeins trees. tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 436 When that is drie..harde hit wel. 1495 Trevisa's Bartholomeus De Proprietatibus Rerum (de Worde) vii. xiv. sig. pii/2 Medycynes that drye and harde. a1500 in J. Evans & M. S. Serjeantson Eng. Mediaeval Lapidaries (1933) 76 Som men seyn þat he [sc. cristall] is harded by gret cold, & so he becomeþ cristall. ?1543 Newe Herball (new ed.) sig. C.iv Yf the ioyce be dronke with honnye, it sleeth all the wormes in a mannes body, & also hardeth a mannes wombe. 1652 Norton's Ordinal of Alchemy i, in E. Ashmole Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum 19 All men perceyven..How Water conjealed with Cold is yse; And before tyme it harded was. 1844 Gardener & Pract. Florist 3 184/2 They were allowed abundance of air, and harded, that they might stand the winter better. 3. transitive. To embolden, incite to action. ΚΠ OE Blickling Homilies 227 Þeah þe se lichoma wære mid þære untrumnesse swa swiðe geswenced, hweþre his mod wæs aheard & gefeonde on drihten.] c1225 (?c1200) St. Katherine (Bodl.) (1981) l. 780 Þet he, i þe tintreohe þet ich am iturnt to, heardi min heorte. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2928 & auer-alc god mon harde [c1300 Otho hardi] hine sulue. ?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 75^v (MED) Also y-dronke largely he sharpith and hardith wonderly the wytt. ?1543 J. Clerke tr. D. de San Pedro Certayn Treatye sig. H.i That whiche harded me to do it was for that he was next neyghboure to Lucenda whom I myght se yf I were loged in the howse of my frende. 4. transitive. To deprive of feeling or emotion; to make callous. Chiefly in to hard a person's heart. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > make emotionally unfeeling [verb (transitive)] > make hard or callous hardc1325 hardenc1350 engrege1382 endurec1384 indurec1450 indurate1538 obduratea1540 brawn1571 hard heart1581 sear1582 cauterize1587 myrmidonize1593 obdure1598 Gorgonize1609 stonea1616 petrifya1631 petrificate1647 roborate1652 case-harden1687 ossify1803 hard-boil1929 OE Cambridge Psalter (1910) xciv. 8 Nolite obdurare corda uestra : nellad ge geheardian [eOE aheardian] heortan eowre.] c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 7221 (MED) Þe folkes herte is So iharded [a1450 London Univ. harded] þat hii beþ deue & blinde iwys, Þat hii nolleþ no god þing ihure ne yse. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Jer. v. 3 Thei inwardli hardeden ther faces..and wolden not be turned aȝeen. a1425 (a1382) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Exod. xiv. 8 The Lord hardide the herte of Pharao. 1573 G. Gascoigne Hundreth Sundrie Flowres 302 Harding my hart w^t cruel care, which frosen fancy beares. 1614 J. Norden Labyrinth Mans Life sig. K^v When thy desire, begins to grow to strong, Giue it not head, nor foster it too long: It hardes the heart and sotteth so the braine. 5. transitive. To make stubborn, obstinately persistent, etc., in an undesirable condition or course of action. Chiefly with in. Usually in passive. Cf. harden v. 5. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > make obstinate or stubborn [verb (transitive)] > make obdurate hard1340 hardena1425 indurec1450 indurate1538 obduratea1540 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xxxvii. 263 Ða ðe on hiera unryhtwisnessum sua aheardode beoð [L. in iniquitate duruerunt] ðæt hie mon mid nanre swingellan gebetan ne mæg.] 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 29 (MED) Hardnesse of herte, huanne man is y-hert [Fr. endurcis] ine his kueadnesse, þet me ne may him wende. ?c1430 (?1383) J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) III. 324 Heretikis hardid in here errour. c1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Katherine (Arun. 396) (1893) iv. l. 1098 Soo ar ȝe harded with obstinacye. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) 188 Thou dyspysest them that art harded in synne. a1618 J. Sylvester Iob Triumphant in tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Diuine Weekes & Wks. (1621) 909 He sees their harts that hard them In Guiles and Wiles. Derivatives harded adj. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > absence of emotion > [adjective] > callous or hard-hearted hard hearteOE steelena1000 hardOE hard-heartedc1225 stony?c1230 yhert1340 dure1412 hardedc1425 induratec1425 stonishc1450 hardenedc1480 steely1508 flinty1536 endured1540 stiff-stomached1540 heartless1556 indured1558 flint-hearted1560 iron1561 marble1565 stone-hearted?1569 stony-hearted1569 iron-hearted1570 steel-hearted1571 rocky?1578 brawned1582 flinted1582 padded1583 obdure?1590 brawny1596 flintful1596 flint-heart1596 steeled1600 cauterized1603 indurated1604 flinty-hearted1629 ahenean1630 dedolent1633 brawny-hearteda1639 hard-grained1643 callous1647 upsitten1682 seared1684 petrified1720 calloused1746 coreless1813 pebble-hearted1816 hard-shelled1848 hard-plucked1857 steel trap1921 the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adjective] > hardened yharded1297 hardeneda1425 hardedc1425 starkeda1500 enharded1523 indurate1531 stonied1590 over-hardened1612 obdured1619 immarbled1641 stockfished1654 obdurate1743 hard-set?1781 c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iii. l. 5093 His harded herte of stele. a1450 in T. Austin Two 15th-cent. Cookery-bks. (1888) 56 Take hardid cofyns, & pore þin comad þer-on. 1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) xxx. 149 Her harded herte it shall well reuolue With pyteous wordes that shall it desolue. 1551 W. Samuel Abridgemente Goddes Statutes in Myter sig. B.v^v The Sorcerers dyd euen the same to harded Pharos herte. 1740 T. Shelton's tr. Cervantes' Don Quixote (new ed.) IV. xxvi. 205 Bodies of harded Cork-Trees. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021). hardadv. Brit. /hɑːd/, U.S. /hɑrd/ Forms: Old English–early Middle English hearde, early Middle English arde, early Middle English hærde, early Middle English harrde ( Ormulum), early Middle English herde, Middle English ard, Middle English hardde, Middle English–1500s harde, Middle English– hard; Scottish pre-1700 harde, pre-1700 herd, pre-1700 1700s– hard. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old Frisian herde very, extremely, Old Dutch hardo , harte fiercely, very, extremely, excessively (Middle Dutch harde , haerde , harde , hart , Dutch hard ), Old Saxon hardo fiercely, violently, extremely, harshly, severely (Middle Low German hard , harde , hart , herde ), Old High German harto fiercely, violently, extremely, excessively, harshly, pitilessly (Middle High German harte , German hart ), Old Icelandic harða (chiefly in poetry; the more usual adverb is hart harshly, fast, firmly, use as adverb of neuter of harðr hard adj.; compare Old Swedish hart (Swedish hart , †hårdt ), Danish haardt (now hårdt )) < the Germanic base of hard adj. + a suffix forming adverbs. Compare hardly adv.With the variation in stem vowel compare discussion at hard adj. and n. With compounds formed by modifying a (present) participial adjective (see Compounds 1) compare Old English heardhycgende brave, heardhȳþende ravaging, in which the first element is usually interpreted as hard adj. with adverbial function. 1. a. With a great deal of effort, energy, or force; strenuously, vigorously; assiduously; fiercely; (in early use occasionally) intensely, profoundly (cf. sense 1c and hard adj. IV.). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adverb] hardlyeOE strongeOE hardOE fastOE starklyOE stalworthlyc1175 starkc1225 mainlyc1300 fellc1330 snellc1330 stout1338 wightlya1340 sadlya1375 sharplyc1380 tough1398 stoutly1399 throa1400 wighta1400 lustilyc1400 sorec1400 vigourslyc1400 stiff1422 vigoriouslya1450 vigorouslya1450 actuallya1470 stourlyc1480 forcely?a1500 lustly1529 fricklyc1540 dingilya1555 livelily?1565 crankly1566 forcibly1578 crank1579 wightily?a1600 proudly1600 energetically1609 stiffly1623 ding-dong1628 greenly1633 hard and fast1646 slashingly1659 thwackingly1660 warmlya1684 robustly1709 sonsily1729 forcefullya1774 vim1843 zippily1924 vibrantly1926 punchily1934 zingily1951 the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adverb] hardOE sorea1300 mightilya1400 strenuously1602 intenselya1631 effortfully1961 the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adverb] > grievously or extremely swith971 hardOE teenfullya1375 foullya1400 thickc1400 violently?a1425 the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly swithlyc888 micklelyeOE swith971 hardOE un-i-fohOE sevenfoldlOE unmeet?c1225 innerlyc1330 horribly1340 too1340 sore1474 horriblec1475 vehemently1483 outrageous1487 done?a1513 exquisite1529 strangely1532 exceeding1535 exceedingly1535 angardlyc1540 angerlyc1540 choicec1540 vengeable1542 vengeably?1550 extremelya1554 monstrous1569 thrice1579 amain1587 extremea1591 damnably1598 fellc1600 tyrannically1602 exquisitely1603 damnedly1607 preciously1607 damnablea1616 impensively1620 excellingly1621 main1632 fearful1634 vengeancelya1640 upsy1650 impensely1657 twadding1657 vastly1664 hideous1667 mainly1670 consumed1707 consumedly1707 outrageously1749 damned1757 nation1771 shockingly1777 deuced1779 darn1789 darned1807 felly1807 varsal1814 awful1816 awfy1816 frightfully1816 deucedly1819 dogged1819 awfully1820 gallowsa1823 shocking1831 tremendously1832 everlasting1833 terribly1833 fearfully1835 ripping1838 poison1840 thundering1853 frighteninglyc1854 raring1854 hell's own1863 goldarned1866 goddamned1870 doggone1871 acutely1872 whooping1874 stupidly1878 everlastingly1879 hideously1882 densely1883 storming1883 good and1885 thunderingly1885 crazy1887 tremendous1887 madly1888 goldarn1892 howling1895 murderously1916 rasted1919 goddam1921 bitchingly1923 Christly1923 bitching1929 falling-down1930 lousy1932 appallingly1937 stratospherically1941 Christ almighty1945 effing1945 focking1956 dagnab1961 drop-dead1980 hella1987 totes2006 the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > fastening > condition of being fast bound or firmly fixed > [adverb] fasteOE fastlyeOE hardOE hetefastea1225 file-fasta1250 sickerlyc1275 stiff1525 tighta1625 soundly1632 starkly1819 tightlya1865 bracingly1874 OE Crist III 1017 Nis ænig wundor hu him woruldmonna seo unclæne gecynd..hearde ondrede. OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xiv. 148 Þeah ðe ða heafodmen hearde wiðcwædon and mid forsewennysse symle ðwyrodon. a1225 (?c1175) Poema Morale (Lamb.) 157 in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 169 Þer we muȝen bon eþe offerd and herde [a1200 Trin. Cambr. harde] us adreden. c1300 St. Barnabas (Laud) 81 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 28 Huy tormenteden him harde and stronge. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 390 Corineus herwiþ harde smot. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Coll. Phys.) l. 20736 (MED) Þidurwarde þei hyȝed hem harde. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 33 (MED) Þe kyng Anlaf so hard gan he chace Þat he asked Cristendom opon Godes grace. a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 5 (MED) Grete lobour þat he hadde on the day Afore made him to slepe hard. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) 2 Chron. xviii. 33 A certayne man bended his bowe harde. c1595 Countess of Pembroke Psalme liv. 6 in Coll. Wks. (1998) II. 54 Strangers..Who hunt me hard. 1634 H. Peacham Gentlemans Exercise (new ed.) 68 Presse it downe hard. 1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World xii. 338 He strikes the Gong as hard as he can. 1723 D. Defoe Hist. Col. Jack (ed. 2) 151 We work'd Hard. a1777 S. Foote Capuchin (1778) i. 106 His majesty looked at me very hard. 1824 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto XV xix. 14 Speculating..On what may suit..my story, And never straining hard to versify. 1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. xlvi. 16 He..bid the cabman drive hard. 1937 New Statesman 28 Aug. 307/1 The Agricultural Workers' Union is fighting hard to get nurserymen of the market-garden variety..to pay a decent living wage. 1955 Simple Gymnastics (‘Know the Game’ Series) 22 Extend the hips and push hard with the hands. 2013 Avenue (Univ. Glasgow) June 24/2 The Adam Smith Business School is working hard to draw talented staff to Glasgow. b. With reference to the blowing of wind, falling of snow or rain, or other phenomena of weather: strongly, violently. Cf. hard adj. 15b. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > bad weather > [adverb] > violently stoura1300 hardc1330 fiercea1400 strainably1511 c1330 (?c1300) Bevis of Hampton (Auch.) 4580 Þe wind blew hardde wiþ gret rage. a1400 Siege Jerusalem (Laud) (1932) 55 Þe racke myd a rede wynde roos on þe myddel.., Blewe on þe brode se, bolned vp harde. 1591 J. Lyly Endimion Epil. sig. K3^v The wind blew hard, the man wrapped his garment about him harder. a1665 K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. to Mediterranean (1868) 51 It blew hard all night. 1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World ii. 13 It rained very hard. 1704 tr. Jrnl. Seven Sailors in Greenland in Coll. Voy. & Trav. II. 420/1 It Snowed and Thawed very hard at Night with the same South Wind. 1798 Ld. Nelson 28 Dec. in Dispatches & Lett. (1845) III. 212 The next day it blew harder than I ever experienced since I have been at sea. 1823 J. Purdy Columbian Navigator ii. 98 When it comes to blow and rain very hard, you may be sure the wind will fly round to the north-west quarter. 1864 J. W. Carlyle Lett. III. 237 If it..snows as hard there as here. 1927 R. Kipling Limits & Renewals (1932) 159 It was raining hard, and the car skidded badly. 1977 J. R. Townsend Xanadu MS xviii. 152 The sun shone hard down into the canyon. 2003 F. Shaw Sweetest Thing 312 The snow was falling so hard,..it was all I could do to see my way round past the station and on to The Mount. c. Chiefly modifying adjectives. To a great degree; very, extremely. U.S. colloquial in later use. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > very tooc888 swith971 wellOE wellOE fullOE rightc1175 muchc1225 wellac1275 gainlya1375 endlyc1440 hard?1440 very1448 odda1500 great1535 jolly1549 fellc1600 veryvery1649 gooda1655 vastly1664 strange1667 bloody1676 ever so1686 heartily1727 real1771 precious1775 quarely1805 murry1818 très1819 freely1820 powerfula1822 gurt1824 almighty1830 heap1832 all-fired1833 gradely1850 real1856 bonny1857 heavens1858 veddy1859 canny1867 some1867 oh-so1881 storming1883 spanking1886 socking1896 hefty1898 velly1898 fair dinkum1904 plurry1907 Pygmalion1914 dinkum1915 beaucoup1918 dirty1920 molto1923 snorting1924 honking1929 hellishing1931 thumpingly1948 way1965 mega1966 mondo1968 seriously1970 totally1972 mucho1978 stonking1990 tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) viii. l. 138 Aysel that sour hard is [L. aceti acerrimi]. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 486 Sir Lamorak was harde byg for hym. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 59^v His hore was hard blake on his hed stode. 1832 T. Robbins Diary 9 Jan. (1887) II. 250 Mr. Jenney is hard sick, and the child, I think, is a little better. a1910 ‘O. Henry’ Trimmed Lamp (1916) 16 He isn't a millionaire so hard that you could notice it, anyhow. 2008 E. Bear Hell & Earth iv. xx. 178 Odd that Will should come down hard sick this day of all days. d. Without moderation, to excess; persistently; recklessly, with abandon. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > lack of moderation or restraint > [adverb] unordinatelyc1384 untemperately1398 unmeasurablyc1400 unmannerly?a1425 unmeasurablec1443 inordinatelyc1450 riotously?c1450 immoderately1482 surfeitlyc1503 unsoberlyc1540 dissolutely1561 intemperantly1561 unbridledly1561 hard1569 intemperately1576 ahoit1598 high1602 extravagantly1660 overboard1931 1569 N. Haward tr. Seneca Line of Liberalitie iii. xxiv. f. 118^v This Paulus after he had dronk hard, had lyst to make water. 1611 L. Barry Ram-Alley iv. sig. G4 I haue bin drinking hard. 1625 F. Bacon Apophthegmes 138 Demades the Oratour, in his age was talkatiue, and would eat hard. 1705 J. Collier Ess. Moral Subj.: Pt. III 166 When a Man drinks hard, the Blood boils over, and the Passions rise, and grow mutinous. 1756 C. Anstey Mem. Noted Buckhorse I. iii. 28 There was good Company; we drank hard; I carried off a Gallon. 1804 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1956) II. 1119 He is a sad loose Liver. Drinks hard, smokes hard, cannot bear to be alone. 1883 Harper's Mag. Oct. 783/2 In the country the earl loved a life of primitive simplicity, but he had a reputation for living hard when in his chambers in town. 1922 K. Norris Certain People of Importance viii. 137 They also fought, ate, drank, and lived hard. 1996 Village Voice (N.Y.) 12 Mar. 64/5 The ‘weekender’ lifestyle—partying hard on the weekends to stave off the looming emptiness of life. 2. a. So as to cause oppression, pain, difficulty, or hardship; cruelly, harshly; frequently in passive. Also: in a manner that involves suffering, difficulty, or hardship. Cf. to be hard put to it at put v. Phrases 2b. See also hard-set adj. 1. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adverb] heavilyc897 sharplyc900 hardeOE sharpc1000 sorec1000 hardlyOE etelichec1175 sorelyc1275 straita1300 sourc1300 grievously1303 drearilya1400 foullya1400 felly?c1400 snapelyc1420 durely1477 penallya1500 shrewlya1529 shrewdlyc1533 asperously1547 heinouslya1555 sensibly1613 instantly1638 shrowardly1664 severelya1682 atrociously1765 punishingly1839 eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) i. xvi. 68 Ond þeah ðe þæt wiite hwene heardor & strongor don sy [L. cum paulo districtius agitur], þonne is hit of lufan to donne. OE Judith 216 Him þæt hearde wearð æt ðam æscplegan eallum forgolden. OE Homily: Invention of Cross (Auct. F.4.32) in M.-C. Bodden Old Eng. Finding of True Cross 83 Gif hwylc man si hearde ofhingred. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4396 Ich wes..hærde [c1300 Otho herde] bi-ðrungen. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 492 Now witterly ich am vn-wis..þus vn-hendly & hard mi herte to blame. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3470 Als womman þat ful hard was stad. c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. i. l. 28 Al for þe loue of oure lorde [lyueden] [MS lyuend] ful harde, In hope to haue a gode ende. a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) vii. §12. 26 Swa mykill the haldere [read hardere; ?c1400 Sidney Sussex harder] will he punysch if thai mend thaim noght. a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. vxxxii. f. xxxii/2 The kynge was soo harde beset with the forenamed Enemyes that he was constrayned..to send for peynems as the Saxons to helpe..to defende his lande. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 156 The poore gese were so hard handled. 1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion i. 12 By their impious pride how hard she was bested, When all the Country swam with blood of Saxons shed. 1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. ii. i. 38 Having fared very hard already. 1771 ‘Junius’ Stat Nominis Umbra (1772) II. l. 193 I will not bear hard upon your..friend. 1817 J. F. Pennie Royal Minstrel vii. 160 He, good noble youth, Has been himself hard treated by the world. 1848 Mass. Q. Rev. June 335 The Discoverers and Organizers often fare hard in the world, lean men, ill-clad and suspected, often laughed at. 1922 H. H. Johnston Veneerings 61 It's a long story I've got to tell... I've been very hard treated. 2009 T. S. Drønen Communication & Conversat. in Northern Cameroon ii. 45 Traditional religion suffered hard from this campaign, altars and ‘idols’ being destroyed. †b. With reference to the trotting of a horse: in a jolting manner, at an uncomfortable pace. Also figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > rate of motion > [adverb] > at an uneasy pace hard1530 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement f. ccccvi^v/1 This horse trotteth so harde that he hath weryed me more than I was a gret whyle. ?1553 tr. Pope Pius II Hist. Ladye Lucres & Eurialus sig. G.ii Husband thou art heauy and weake, and thy horse goeth hard, borowe therfore some ambeling horse. a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) iii. ii. 331 He [sc. Time] trots hard with a yong maid, between the contract of her marriage, and the day it is solemnizd. View more context for this quotation 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. vii. 150 A trotting horse, when he sets hard, and goes of an uneasy pace. 1760 tr. A. De La Sale Fifteen Comforts of Matrimony viii. 66 The horse trots too hard, and makes her sick. 1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well I. vii. 164 I am heated, and my pony trotted hard. 1900 J. Withcombe in Sheep, Hogs & Horses Pacific Northwest (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 177) 26 An animal that..is not very active and trots hard. 3. Firmly, securely; tightly. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > absence of movement > [adverb] > in a stable manner > firmly (fixed) stronglyeOE fasteOE stitha1000 hardOE fastlyOE steadfasta1300 stithlya1300 steevec1330 a-rootc1374 firmlyc1374 hard and fastc1380 sadc1380 sadlya1398 steadfastlya1400 stronga1400 stalworthlyc1440 solidatively?1541 hardfast1548 secure1578 sickera1586 solidly?1611 tighta1625 securely1642 steevely1790 inexcussably1816 tightly1866 OE Genesis B 444 Hæleðhelm on heafod asette and þone full hearde geband. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 14783 Moysæs ræw off þatt follc, Þatt swa wass haldenn harrde. c1225 (?c1200) St. Juliana (Bodl.) 554 [M]e brohte hire uorð..& bunden hire þer to hearde & heteueste. c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1186 Bynd hem herde wyþ yre & steel & pote hem in stokkes of trow. c1410 (c1350) Gamelyn (Harl. 7334) l. 350 Gamelyn was itake and ful hard ibounde. Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 227 Harde sett [1499 Pynson or obstynat] yn wyckydnesse.., obstinatus. a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 246 All the hollis wes stoppit hard. 1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene v. iv. sig. P3^v With both his hands behinde him pinnoed hard . View more context for this quotation 1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet ii. i. 88 He tooke me by the wrist, and held me hard . View more context for this quotation 1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. xii. 214 A Pin..to fit hard and stiff into the round Hole. 1720 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) at Pyritis A precious Stone which burns the Fingers, if one holds it hard. 1772 R. Warner tr. Plautus Discov. v. iii, in B. Thornton et al. tr. Plautus Comedies III. 178 You but lose time, while I'm at liberty. So instant tie my hands, and tie them hard. 1833 L. Ritchie Wanderings by Loire 241 Bound hard and fast. 1883 Harper's Mag. Aug. 386/3 A large black dog jumped out from the ditch, and scared the old horse so that I had to hold on hard. 1919 Everybody's Mag. Jan. 21/3 He shot up a full inch, stiffened, searched her with smoldering eyes, then he held her hard against him. 1958 H. L. Humes Underground City ii. xxii. 492 Before the Owl realized his intent he had tossed the pistol underhand across the room to Armand, who caught it hard. 2013 Sunday Tasmanian (Nexis) 5 May 21 Rope burns his wrists, which are tied hard to a post. 4. With difficulty or trouble; laboriously. Also: †hardly, scarcely (obsolete). Now somewhat rare, except in compounds with a past participle (see Compounds 1c).to die hard: see die v.¹ 3b. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adverb] > with difficulty uneathc888 arvethlichec1000 uneathsc1200 hardc1300 albusyc1325 wondsomely?a1400 hardlya1425 narrowlyc1450 unreadilyc1454 a-pain1487 uneasily1600 scarce1667 scarcely1697 ill1832 c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 1447 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 148 Þe knottes gnowen al is flechs..harde miȝte he sitte a-doun, and harde ligge al-so. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xviii. 24 How hard [L. difficile] thei that han richessis schulen entre in to the rewme of God. a1425 (a1400) Titus & Vespasian l. 1114 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1904) 112 26/1 (MED) Jacob, nowe I am ascaped harde. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 299 He was heled harde with the lyff. 1537 tr. H. Latimer Serm. to Clergie sig. B.vii^v Nowe hard and scant, ye may finde any corner..where many of his chylderne be not. 1591 E. Spenser Prosopopoia in Complaints sig. N3 These be the wayes, by which without reward Liuings in Court be gotten, though full hard. 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §830 Solid bodies foreshow rain, as boxes and pegs of wood when they draw and wind hard. 1664 T. Killigrew Parsons Wedding iii. v in Comedies & Trag. 116 She requires me..to send back by you the Pearl she gave me this morning; which sure she'd never do if she were sober; for you know, I earn'd them hard. 1796 F. Burney Camilla III. vi. vi. 261 Who'd give you your money again when you'd spent it? I got mine hard enough. I sha'n't fool it away in a hurry, I promise you! 1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake iii. 111 And hard his labouring breath he drew. 1917 E. Hough Man Next Door x. 119 Them people went away at last—even our little Dutch band, though they give up hard. 2013 P. Gelder Total Loss 153 Twisting the drill chuck a quarter turn at a time by hand (the rusting handle turned hard) had chafed the soaked skin of our fingers. 5. So as to be hard (chiefly in sense 1 of the adjective); to the point of hardness.Frequently in compounds with a past participle: see Compounds 1d. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adverb] harda1387 marmoreallya1846 a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 325 The see is hard i-frore [L. congelatum et concretum]. a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 6455 (MED) Þus may men se by an egge hard dight, How heven and erthe and helle standes right. 1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors ii. f. 10 Being very near compact, & as it wer hard tempered together. 1580 J. Hester tr. L. Fioravanti Short Disc. Chirurg. sig. F^v Set it in a forneyes, and giue it gentle fire vntill all the substance be come forth, the which oyle will be congealed hard. 1651 J. French Art Distillation i. 39 Take Hen-egs boyled hard. 1665 C. Merrett Acct. Freezing 15 in R. Boyle New Exper. & Observ. Cold Oranges and Limons frozen have a tough and hard rind;..they were both frozen hard in 26. hours or a little more. 1730 J. Thomson Winter in Seasons 222 The whiter snow, Incrusted hard. 1785 Mem. Literary & Philos. Soc. Manch. 1 97 The flesh they eat almost raw, and without salt; using by way of bread to it, other flesh, dried hard in the smoke. a1825 R. Forby Vocab. E. Anglia (1830) Scrabbed-eggs, a lenten dish, composed of eggs boiled hard. 1881 E. B. Tylor Anthropol. xi. 274 The earliest potters came to see that they could shape the clay alone and burn it hard. 1904 Southern Planter Apr. 236/1 A piece of land with a northern exposure on his place had been hard frozen from the second week in November to the second week in March. 2007 S. D. Eby Comrades & Commissars v. 97 It was never cold enough to freeze the ankle-deep mud and never warm enough to bake it hard. 6. a. In close proximity (either in time or space), esp. so as to be adjacent; very near; immediately. Chiefly preceding a prepositional phrase, esp. with at (cf. at hand at hand n. Phrases 1a(a)), on, or upon. Cf. hard on (also at, upon) the heels of at Phrases 2 and hard by adv. ΘΚΠ the world > space > distance > nearness > [adverb] > immediately near harda1400 immediately1466 proximately1598 proximelyc1600 presently1601 instantly1849 the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > [adverb] > near in time > near or close to a point in time neara1325 hard1535 onwards of1695 a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 294 (MED) Wiþ þis oynement þou schalt anointe þe place harde aȝen þe fier. c1430 N. Love Mirror Blessed Life (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 146 Oure lorde..answered harde aȝeyne, reprouynge hem. 1511 Pylgrymage Richarde Guylforde (Pynson) f. xlv^v We..laye amoste harde abrode, the grete vggly rokkes. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Job xvii. 1 I am hard at deathes dore. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. F. L. de Castanheda 1st Bk. Hist. Discouerie E. Indias xii. 29 b The King..came in a great boate hard to our Fleete. 1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 242 Wotton Basset bordeth hard vpon this. 1743 T. Dowie Country Man's Compan. 43 O follow hard, no longer make Delay. c1771 S. Foote Maid of Bath iii. 50 You are hard upon sixty. 1813 W. Scott Bridal of Triermain ii. Interlude i. 104 While conjuring wand Of English oak is hard at hand. 1865 W. M. Thackeray in Daily News (1896) 27 Jan. 4/7 Who will one of these days run you hard for the Presidentship. 1897 F. Hall in Notes & Queries 17 Apr. 310/1 Incongruity which trenches hard on nonsense. 1904 C. A. Mason White Shield xix. 142 Every man and woman aware that the awful moment, so dreaded yet so desired, must be hard at hand. 1969 M. Pugh Last Place Left xxiii. 178 In a booming bistro..we sat hard against a gracious liver who called the bread the club of death. 2007 J. McCourt Now Voyagers iv. 139 Faith gave way to faithlessness hard upon the fall of Montségur. b. Nautical. With reference to the steering or manoeuvring of a ship: right (round) to the specified position or direction, in hard-alee, hard-a-port, hard-a-starboard, hard up (cf. up adv.¹ 6e), etc. (frequently as a command).The adverbial phrases are occasionally used as verbs: see hard-a-port v., hard-a-starboard v. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > steering > [adjective] > specific position of tiller hard up1745 steady1816 c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) vi. 32 Hail doune the steir burde lufe harde a burde. 1625 M. Pring in S. Purchas Pilgrimes I. v. vii. 651 We put the helme hard aweather, thinking that the ship would haue come round, but all in vaine. 1689 M. Taubman Londons Great Jubilee 10 Helm a Lee, starboard, hard a Port, thus, keep her thus. 1707 London Gaz. No. 4380/2 We clap'd our Helm hard a Starboard. 1745 Def. made by John Ambrose 5 I began to engage the Enemy, and continued to do all in my Power to get nigher to them, yawing the Ship, and ordering the Helm to be put hard up, sometimes the one Way, and sometimes the other. 1788 J.-N. de Sauseuil tr. J. Bourdé de Villehuet Manœuverer ii. ix. 116 The helm put hard a-lee, and the head sheets let fly. 1808 M. L. Weems Life G. Washington (ed. 6) xi. 137 Washington then boldly seized the helm, and with a hard-a-lee, luffed up his ship at once to the gale. 1835 ‘F. Grummet’ Grummett's Log 127 The sonorous and deep voice of Captain Dashall exclaimed, ‘Hard a port the helm!’ The tiller was instantly jammed hard over. 1839 F. Marryat Phantom Ship I. x. 216 Hard a-port! flatten in forward! 1874 F. G. D. Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. x. 310 Hard up the helm... La barre au vent. 1913 W. B. Meloney Girl of Golden Gate xxx. 283 ‘Hard up! Hard up!’ cried Paul in alarm. Blindly Emily recovered herself and put the helm up. The Daphne fell off before the wind. 1990 J. Updike Rabbit at Rest i. 128 What I'm going to do is something called coming about, hard alee. 2000 Vanity Fair May 96/2 He turned to the man at the Dauphin's wheel and ordered, ‘Hard up the helm’. c. With reference to direction: sharply, abruptly (in the direction specified). Cf. hard adj. 24. ΚΠ 1866 W. M. Roberts Rep. Ohio River 20 Dec. in River & Harbor Improvem. (1867) 301 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (39th Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc. 56) IX. Below this bar the river turns hard to right. 1919 Army & Navy Reg. (Washington) 1 Feb. 155/2 As it was seen the chasers could not clear the light cruisers, the unit went hard left. 1975 C. E. Funnell By Beautiful Sea (1983) i. 23 The train turns hard right to skirt Absecon Bay. 2012 Southland (N.Z.) Times (Nexis) 2 June 6 As [the speeding driver] approached roadworks he panicked and swerved hard left..and hit a tree. 7. a. Chiefly with reference to sleeping or resting: on a hard surface, floor, etc. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > [adverb] > on a hard surface hard1573 1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry f. 18^v At Mighelmas safely, go stye vp thy bore,..and better hee brawneth, if harde he do lye. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iv. f. 161 The harder they lye, the sooner they fatte. 1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 302 That so he may lie soft and stand hard. 1761 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy IV. xv. 118 I love to lie hard and alone, and even without my wife. 1863 ‘G. Eliot’ Romola II. ii. xviii. 219 He was content to lie hard, and live stintedly—he had spent the greater part of his remaining money in buying another poniard. 1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped xviii. 173 Ye maun lie bare and hard, and brook many an empty belly. a1942 J. S. Neilson Poems (1965) 86 Softly she sang for its sweet rest, And you were sleeping hard and cold. b. Chiefly in Russian or Chinese contexts: using the lowest class of accommodation available on a train.Used with reference to the unupholstered or poorly upholstered seats in such accommodation. Cf. hard adj. 1c(b), soft adv. 1c. ΚΠ 1893 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang III. 267/2 Hard,..3. Third-class... ‘Do you go hard or soft?’ = ‘Do you go third or first?’ 1914 Blackwood's Mag. June 844/2 To a body that usually travels ‘hard’,..it is..agreeable to be able to travel for once like a prince. 1937 W. Duranty Babies without Tails 29 I found myself one night in a third-class compartment in Siberia—traveling hard they called it. 1976 Times 13 Nov. 11/1 Trains in China are made up of classless coaches but you travel hard or soft according to your position. 1995 E. V. Gulick Teaching in Wartime China 272 I was travelling ‘hard’, the rough equivalent of third class. †8. Parsimoniously; so as to minimize expenditure. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adverb] narrowlya1250 feeblyc1290 scarcely1340 straitly1340 strait1390 niggardly?1529 nighly1548 pinchingly1561 close-fisted1575 hard1580 niggishly1580 nearly1591 mincingly1593 costively1598 penuriously1616 neara1625 scantingly1627 parsimoniouslya1634 scrapingly1680 stingily1682 scrimply1690 sneakingly1695 churlishly1875 curmudgeonly1879 skinflintily1899 mingily1958 1580 A. Saker Narbonus ii. 111 If he spend something liberally, then is he prodigall, and neuer mindeth to buy lands: if something hard, then miserable, and a churle. 1672 J. Eachard Mr. Hobbs's State Nature Considered 156 There was a man buying a cloak, as hard as ever he could. 1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 155. ⁋3 The Rogues buy as hard as the plainest and modestest Customers they have. Phrases P1. to go hard with (chiefly with impersonal it as subject): to turn out badly for; to be to the great disadvantage or detriment of; (also) to be unpleasant, difficult, or distressing for. †it shall go hard but (introducing a statement of what will happen or be done unless overwhelming difficulties prevent it): in all certainty, without doubt (obsolete). Now somewhat archaic. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > [verb (transitive)] > result unfavourably to to go again ——OE to go against ——a1425 to go hard with1530 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 550/1 It shall go harde but I wyll fynde one mater or other to breake hym of his purpose. 1582 O. Pigg Comfortable Treat. First Epist. Peter sig. E.iiii^v It must needes goe hard with them, that obey not the gospell. a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. i. 83 It shall goe hard but ile proue it by another. View more context for this quotation 1665 E. Stillingfleet Rational Acct. Protestant Relig. i. ii. 62 The case goes hard with us, for you tell us, Unless we believe them necessary, we cannot be saved. ?1705 E. Hickeringill Vindic. Char. Priest-craft 22 Not a Farthing abated,..which goes hard in Hard-times. 1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho III. xii. 408 I have never seen them [sc. the rooms], since my dear lady died; and it would go hard with me to see them now. 1809 W. Irving Hist. N.Y. I. iii. iii. 141 It shall go hard, but I will make it afford them entertainment. 1855 W. H. Prescott Hist. Reign Philip II of Spain I. i. iii. 98 It might have gone hard with the envoy, had the mistake not been discovered. 1909 J. Flagg Flagg's Flats (ed. 3) ix. 261 Unquestionably he knew that if the case should be reviewed by this high court it would go hard with him. 1941 M. Mitchell Let. 11 Oct. (1986) 350 I imagine it went hard with a Middle Tennessean to find himself dying, willy-nilly, in an Illinois regiment. 2008 R. Syme Good Death vi. 58 To this day I have managed to avoid falsifying another death certificate. That aspect went hard with me, as I detest dishonesty. P2. hard on (also at, upon) the heels of and variants: closely following (either in time or space); in close pursuit of; very soon after. Cf. at (also on, upon, †in) a person's heels at heel n.¹ and int. Phrases 1a(a), hot on the heels of at hot adj. and n.¹ Phrases 6b.In early use chiefly after verbs of following or pursuit. ΚΠ 1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Psalmes of Dauid with Comm. (xlix. 13) Death preaceth hard at your heeles. 1598 R. Barckley Disc. Felicitie of Man v. 503 The she-wolf..whose couetousnesse is followed hard at the heeles with enuie. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxvii. xii. 636 Marcellus tracked him still, and followed him hard at heeles. 1687 I. Mather Serm. preached at Boston 11 Mar. 1686 (ed. 2) 94 Hell followes Death hard at the heels. 1703 W. Burkitt Expos. Notes New Test. 2 Tim. iii. 10 St Paul. went to Antioch, from Antioch to Iconium, from Iconium to Lystra, preaching the Gospel; but Persecution followed him hard at the Heels, wherever he went. 1769 J. Barker Nature of Inoculation Explained vii. 28 I have myself known putrid purgings..and obstinate intermittents, following hard upon the heels of a celebrated method. 1834 J. Browne Hist. Highlands I. xiv. 303 As M'Grimmon was hard upon his heels, Leslie purposely stumbled in his way and brought M'Grimmon down to the ground. 1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped iv. 35 A blinding flash..and hard upon the heels of it, a great tow-row of thunder. 1933 Boys' Mag. 47 119/2 He shot by a little group of runners, and in the backstretch was hard upon the heels of the four leaders. 1954 19th-cent. Fiction 9 207 Hard on its heels comes a rowdy scene with..Joseph pitying himself. 2008 Metro (Toronto) 18 Jan. 15/6 Hard on the heels of House & Garden Magazine's closure, another glossy decor title is saying farewell to the printed word. P3. to take something hard: to be very upset by something; to react to something with anguish, anger, or distress. [After classical Latin graviter ferre.] ΚΠ 1627 T. Newman tr. Terence Eunuch i. ii, in tr. Terence Two First Comedies 59 Woes me, I feare Phædria hath tane it hard [L. vereor ne illud graviu' Phaedria tulerit] And worse then I did meane it, he was bard His entrance here last day. a1753 S. Bownas Acct. Life (1756) 127 Thou seems angry, and to resent it, that I should take it ill or hard, to be so treated by a Man of thy Pretensions. 1888 Eng. Illustr. Mag. Apr. 567/2 I was a bit feared she'd take it hard, but I thought it 'ud be better when 'twas done an' couldn't be undone. 1976 Los Angeles Times 11 Nov. (Sports section) 5/1 Like most serious athletes, they take losing hard. 2003 C. Birch Turn again Home xxiii. 276 He was profoundly mourned... Jean and Georgia took it hard. P4. hard done by: unfairly or harshly treated. Cf. to do by —— 1 at do v. Phrasal verbs 1. ΚΠ 1817 Norfolk Election Budget No. 6. 46 Small farmers he thought were very hard done by, By duty on horses that toil'd on the land. 1898 E. N. Westcott David Harum (1900) xx. 197 Mebbe I've ben hard done by all my hull life. 1959 P. Bull I know Face i. 24 We..all..felt hard done-by. 2002 A. N. Wilson Victorians (2003) ix. 106 Elliotson, a combative man with a tendency to consider himself hard done by, was eventually hounded out by the medical ‘establishment’. P5. hard all: with one's utmost strength or effort; ‘all out’. Now rare.Chiefly with reference to rowing. ΚΠ 1851 E. D. G. M. Kirwan tr. A. de Castro Hist. Jews Spain 256 The boatswain..gives a whistle to the galley-slaves, who pull hard all [Sp. todos bogan] and speed the galley on. 1860 Macmillan's Mag. Mar. 323/1 Open books, note-books, and maps showed that the Captain read, as he rowed, ‘hard all’. 1907 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. July 143 Pull hard all, Hard for the Golden Hynde. Compounds C1. With participles and participial adjectives. a. (a) With the sense ‘with force, energy, or persistence; to a great or excessive degree’. ΚΠ 1638 J. Suckling Aglaura iii. 17 I, like a hard hunted Deere, Have only hearded here. 1682 J. Banks Unhappy Favourite iii. 32 Malitious Flames flasht in a moment from Thy Eyes like Lightning from thy O'recharg'd Soul, And fir'd thy Breast, which like a hard ramm'd Piece, Discharg'd unmannerly upon my face. 1795 J. Gurney Trial T. Hardy III. 104 Squandering away the honey produced by such immense numbers of hard-toiling and industrious bees. 1851 C. A. Bristed Five Years Eng. University 40 Passing for a terribly hard-reading man, and a ‘Sim’ of the straightest kind. 1875 Encycl. Brit. III. 264/1 The beam consists of a perforated flat rhombus..made in one piece out of..hard-hammered brass. 1936 Street & Smith's Western Story Mag. 14 Mar. 11/2 His hard-scuffed boots and his range hat marked him as the genuine article. 1975 W. Henry I, Tom Horn ii. 84 One old squaw cracked me on my thigh muscle with a hard-hurled knobby club. 2012 New Yorker 10 Sept. 25/1 A bride..whose hard-partying bridesmaids..turn her wedding chaotic. (b) hard-biting adj. ΚΠ 1659 Army Mastered (single sheet) Plucking the rights and priviledges of these distracted Countrys out of the jawes of these hardbiting and all devouring Lyons. 1785 European Mag. & London Rev. May 360/1 The Thanes of the Counties..have fled from thee like cackling Geese from the hard biting Fox. 1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales II. 162 No animal is so hard-biting as an otter. 1939 Life 13 Nov. 19/3 The humid air was filled with mosquitoes, hard-biting tropical bugs and lovely butterflies. 2002 J. D. Mayer in S. J. Wayne & S. Wilcox Election of Cent. iii. 58 The hard-biting rhetoric of Gore's last few weeks of campaigning. hard-contested adj. ΚΠ 1730 M. Pilkington Poems Several Occasions 162 Swiftly as the Chariot flies, To win the hard-contested Prize. 1832 Amer. Turf Reg. Feb. 271 This was a beautiful and hard contested race between four of the best horses then in America. 1917 J. Stefansson Denmark & Sweden xviii. 141 It was a hard-contested struggle; the Danish loss was 4700 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. 2013 Scotsman (Nexis) 25 Oct. 55 They've been hard fought, hard contested games. hard-drinking adj. ΚΠ 1707 J. Quinton Pract. Observ. Physick & Surg. 113 Two or three times I had Patients (hard drinking Men, and of hot Constitutions) that bled..from under the Tongue. 1839 G. A. Young Canad. Question ii. 35 There was no stint of generous wine, for it was a hard drinking period. 1938 Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct. 23/2 This lonely little outpost with its heavy-fisted, bragging, hard-drinking ruffians was Gerry Carlyle's only hope of reaching Strike in time to save him. 2013 Master Detective Apr. 28/2 Even by the standards of its hard-drinking guests, this was going to be the mother of all parties. hard-driving adj. ΚΠ 1771 R. Michell Poems 24 The hard-driving Billows hoarsely roaring round. 1815 T. Chalmers Let. in Mem. (1850) II. 18 A heartless, hard driving, distracting, and wearing out life among the bustle of unministerial work. 1898 S. R. Crockett Standard Bearer x A great, strong, kindly, hard-driving ‘nowt’ of a man. 1924 Princeton Alumni Weekly 21 May 702/1 Harvard..by dint of heroic effort and courage nosed out the hard-driving New Haven combination by a half length. 1951 M. McLuhan Mech. Bride 157/1 The cowboy is as non-erotic as the hard-driving executive. 2007 Time Out N.Y. 29 Mar. 124/4 The roughed-up guitar riffs and hard-driving beats still rip with bluesy urgency. hard-fighting adj. ΚΠ 1786 C. Fletcher Maritime State Considered (Dublin ed.) ix. 83 A British sailor..is not only an hard working, but an hard fighting man. 1864 J. H. Burton Scot Abroad I. ii. 91 The hard-fighting clans near the Border. 1913 Collier's 13 Dec. 27/1 He was an aggressive, hard-fighting, and alert lineman, who did his best work under fire. 2001 Independent 7 May i. 13/6 Hard-working, hard-drinking, hard-fighting men, they became the backbone of the rural economy. hard-ridden adj. ΚΠ 1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Prikid, hard ridden. 1776 S. J. Pratt Pupil of Pleasure II. cix. 241 A person dismounted, from a panting, hard-ridden horse. 1869 Oriental Sporting Mag. 15 Feb. 141 This was won by Nat after two hard ridden heats. 1950 Boys' Life Feb. 52/3 Park..saw four men near the river, and four hard-ridden ponies. 2009 K. Cameron Top Dead Center 2 154 Look at the front tire of a hard-ridden machine as it enters a turn. hard-riding adj. ΚΠ 1650 J. Row Wounds Kirk o' Scotl. 4 The Bishops, thur hard-riding Lowns, they got on her back. 1826 Bell's Life in London 5 Mar. 79/1 As is the case with most hard-riding men, Sir Bellingham Graham has had some severe falls. 1901 Wide World Mag. 8 113/1 The hard-riding, straight-shooting sons of Australia and New Zealand. 2009 Independent 24 Mar. (Life section) 5/4 He was a hard-riding, romantic man of action. hard-running adj. ΚΠ 1696 Post Man 14 Nov. A large Pack of noted hard running, very handsome, good hunting Beagles. 1781 P. Beckford Thoughts on Hunting xv. 191 The hounds most likely to be right, are the hard-running line-hunting hounds. 1882 29th Ann. Rep. Mass. Board Agric. 385 They broke the ‘stubborn glebe’ with a hard-running plough. 1952 C. Day Lewis tr. Virgil Aeneid v. 98 The hard-running waves off Malea. 2013 FourFourTwo Jan. 93/3 From hot-headed, hard-running targetman to headline-grabbing goal machine. hard-sought adj. ΚΠ 1727 P. Frowde Fall of Saguntum ii. 33 No longer dares he the close Chase pursue; Aw'd, yet with Rage indignant, stalks away, And to the nobler Brute resigns his hard-sought Prey. 1835 Dublin Penny Jrnl. 21 Feb. 271/2 I seized my hard sought prize. 1909 J. Jusserand Lit. Hist. Eng. People III. 162 His [sc. Shakespeare's] most wonderful inventions were not hard-sought finds. 2002 K. Chisholm Hungry Hell ii. 46 Anyone who suggested that perhaps I would feel better if I ate a little more was actually asking me to defile that hard-sought purity. hard-swearing adj. ΚΠ 1779 Indictm., Trial & Condemnation Admiral Keppel 39 That uniform steadiness, the envy of the Admiral's enemies, and confusion of hard-swearing men. 1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake II. xxxii. 179 It might seem strange that..short-spoken, hard-headed, hard-swearing warriors, could allow complacently a smooth churchman to dawdle on thus. 1915 Mid-west Q. Oct. 47 A tobacco-chewing, hard-swearing, unlovely race of men. 2009 D. E. Sutherland Savage Confl. ii. 32 The six-foot-two-inch, hard-swearing captain. hard-working adj. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [adjective] > diligent or industrious busyOE swinkfulOE laboriousa1393 virtuousc1450 eident1529 operose1546 laboursome1552 industrious1591 work-likea1642 work-brittle1647 notable1666 nitle1673 hard-working1682 worksome1830 shirtsleeve1864 workful1875 society > occupation and work > working > [adjective] > working > working (too) hard swinking?c1225 hard-working1682 driven1797 grinded1833 slave-driven1933 1682 T. Tryon Healths Grand Preservative ii. 16 Hard working rough Trades and Imployments. 1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth II. 224 The hard working wives of the peasants. 1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xxviii. 371 Five nights' camping out in the snow, with hard-working days between. 1881 C. M. Yonge Lads & Lasses Langley ii. 97 She knelt upon the grass, with her bare hard-working knotty hands clasped. 1917 V. Eliot Let. 22 Oct. in T. S. Eliot Lett. (1988) I. 202 She is clean and hard-working, an excellent cook and a most finished servant altogether. 1975 Investors Chron. 28 Feb. 589/1 He is not a slave driver but somehow generates an extremely hard-working atmosphere. 2013 FourFourTwo Jan. 86/2 A hard-working, technically excellent defender. b. (a) With the sense ‘with hardship or severity; harshly’. ΚΠ a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. xxviii. f. 227 Like a hard-kept warde new come to his lands. 1637 J. Milton Comus 29 In hard besetting need. 1700 C. P. Sheepherd's New Kalender 33 Those Nice Bodys, Living at Ease, are of a soft delicious Temper; so the Infection seizes them sooner than Labourious hard-fareing Bodys. ?1770 G. Cooke Compl. Eng. Farmer iv. 47 The Gargle..is an inflammation of the head and throat, to which common and hard kept horses are very subject. 1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) iii. 121 Such a hard-looking gentleman, that she involuntarily dropped her eyes and her curtsey at the same time. 1851 C. Brontë Let. 31 Mar. (2000) II. 593 I dare offer no word of sympathy to Cornhill—hard-tasked as are its energies just now. 1872 H. M. Stanley How I found Livingstone vi. 206 We threw ourselves down to rest and sleep, until dawn should reveal what else was in store for the hard-dealt with caravans. 1894 Lancaster Law Rev. 11 288/1 Some hard-treated..Scotch-Irish pioneers found their way into the forbidden territory. 1904 J. S. Jones Seeing Darkly (1911) iii. 60 He has only given a thin slice and paring of his superabounding wealth to a hard-bested and struggling cause. 1916 H. F. Harrison in Friends of France ii. 15 No flesh-wounded hoppers these, but hard-punished men. 1994 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 13 Dec. 10 Some members of the legal fraternity speak of the retiring judge as humourless and hard-sentencing. (b) hard-judging adj. ΚΠ 1739 W. Shirley Parricide iii. ii. 29 Adieu, hard-judging Fair, and, oh, believe I'd hate you from Resentment,—if I could. 1844 Brit. Churchman Aug. 311 The poor outcast, who from home is driven By the hard-judging world's self-righteous pride. 1920 M. Nesbitt Lamps of Fire iii. 56 We condemn ourselves..to a narrow, hard-judging, self- centered existence. 2011 Times (Nexis) 5 Feb. (Mag.) 30 I was trying to act as a kind but hard-judging person would want me to act. hard-pressing adj. ΚΠ 1715 tr. E. Holdsworth Mouse-trap 10 Our hard-pressing Miseries Are yet removable. 1846 Sc. Congregational Mag. Apr. 148 The closely-calculating, hard-pressing and pinching economy..on the part of the poor hard-wrought labourer. 1938 New Statesman 20 Aug. 282/1 Mr. Lennox Robinson..said that..it was not fair to press the lecturer. But the S.J...was a hard-pressing man. 2013 Sunday Times (Nexis) 10 Feb. 10 Both sides play a high tempo, hard-pressing game. hard-tried adj. ΚΠ 1791 C. Plowden Observ. Oath Eng. Rom. Catholics 11 Foreign prelates surrounded by hard-tried divines and celebrated universities. 1856 Fraser's Mag. Nov. 549/1 He will fling back a kindly recognition to his homely, hard-tried ancestress. 1906 Daily Chron. 1 Oct. 3/2 Its purpose of helping the hard-tried bookseller. 1994 H. Bloom Western Canon ii. vi. 161 Don Juan has his hard-tried valet, Sganarelle. hard-used adj. ΚΠ 1705 C. Cibber Careless Husband iv. 44 The Resentment of an Hard-us'd, Honourable Lover. 1850 Colburn's U.S. Service Mag. i. 97 That hard working, hard fighting, and often..hard used portion of the forces, commonly called the ‘Line’. 1950 Mind 59 407 Difficulties which can in one sense of a hard-used word be called ‘philosophical’. 2003 Independent (Nexis) 27 Dec. (Features section) 25 Avoid buying a hard-used Espace that could look scruffy. hard-worked adj. ΚΠ 1764 P. Miller tr. H. L. Duhamel du Monceau Elements Agric. II. viii. 89 This grain should be sowed very thick, when it is intended to serve as fodder for hard-worked oxen. 1862 C. Darwin Let. 23 June in Corr. (1997) X. 270 How hard-worked you are; do not stretch the string too much. 1958 ‘Miss Read’ Storm in Village xx. 214 The pile of Christmas presents for parents, such as..little hankies bearing here and there a needle-prick of blood from some hard-worked fingers, grew apace. 2004 Bath Chron. (Nexis) 15 Oct. 38 Giving hard-worked players rest time which is absolutely crucial to their physical and mental well-being. c. (a) With the sense ‘with difficulty’. ΚΠ a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 115 (MED) He þat hauys..a nose þat hauys nosesterles oft greuant, & harde openynge, is Irous. 1594 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis (new ed.) sig. G^v O hard beleeuing loue how strange it seemes! Not to beleeue, and yet too credulous. 1632 J. Vicars tr. Virgil XII Aeneids vi. 158 So shalt thou Stygian groves behold at last, And hard-found courts, which (yet) no mortals past. 1743 H. Fielding Misc. I. 25 Behold the little Race [sc. of Bees] laborious stray, And from each Flow'r the hard-wrought Sweets convey. 1860 Chambers's Jrnl. 19 May 317/2 The patron of the theologians is, queerly enough, the hard-believing apostle Thomas. 1915 Poultry Item Jan. 106/3 I can easily convert this hard digested egg feed [sc. raw oats] into the finest and juiciest green feed imaginable. 2008 W. Van Draanen Sammy Keyes & Cold Hard Cash xi. 86 I really resented spending my hard-found money on the Blackmail Whale. (b) hard-acquired adj. ΚΠ 1702 H. Curson Theory of Sci. Illustr. Pref. sig. A4^v The fatigue of many years supposed laborious Study, which makes them prefer an easy Ignorance before a hard acquired Knowledge. 1826 A. N. Royall Sketches Hist., Life, & Manners U.S. 110 The greater crime would be to debar poor slaves from the only opportunity they have to sell their produce, the hard acquired pittance of many a weary night's labor. 1922 N. Gallizier Lotus Woman xii. 137 The horror of the alternative almost deprived her of her hard acquired self-possession. 2012 Jerusalem Post (Nexis) 20 July 38 I don't know if I am reacting out of grandmotherly hyper-vigilance or hard-acquired wisdom. hard-bought adj. ΚΠ 1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 163 The hard-bought Victory. 1849 E. Wilson Script. View Woman's Rights & Duties xi. 349 The female part of the family seem to think that their sole business is to spend the hard-bought earning of their male relations. 1950 Life 16 Oct. 11/1 In most states, teachers are hired and paid almost entirely on the basis of their teaching experience and their own hard-bought education. 2000 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 11 Apr. a13 Anne has secured a hard-bought sense not of happiness but of contentment with her place in life. hard-earned adj. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > acquisition > [adjective] > obtained or acquired > with difficulty or sacrifice bought1599 hard-earned1727 1727 A. B. Hist. Saguntum 5 They found their Treasury sunk infinitely too low to satisfy the just Demands, and hard-earn'd Wages of the poor Soldiers. 1847 A. Helps Friends in Council I. ii. 26 The hard-earned gains of civil society. 1921 M. Argo Janet’s Choice 23 Spendrife fowk trintlin' awa' guid hard-earned siller on dress an' trinkums. 2000 R. Bingham Lightning on Sun 211 All the moto drivers were spending their hard-earned cash replacing spark plugs. hard-gained adj. ΚΠ 1665 T. Manley tr. H. Grotius De Rebus Belgicis ix. 687 Prince Maurice..hoysted Sayl to Ostend, carrying no other benefit with him of his hard-gained Victory, besides the Glory thereof. 1765 J. Brown Christian Jrnl. 72 What is learning, but an hard gained boast of knowing what was known before! 1860 T. Lowe Central India v. 261 After four days' hard fighting, Jhansi..was in our hands, and a hard gained prize it was. 1911 Pacific Monthly May 82/2 Even the poorest of the homesteaders..have no thought of commercializing their hard-gained comforts. 2012 Sun (Nexis) 4 May 80 Just as Cardiff were getting a hard-gained foothold in this semi-final first-leg clash, Collison struck again. hard-got adj. ΚΠ 1596 R. Linche Dom Diego in Diella sig. F^v This young-year'd Hermit..Inrag'd vpon a suddaine throwes away His hard-got foode. 1694 T. D'Urfey Comical Hist. Don Quixote: Pt. 2nd v. ii. 61 Must my hard-got Renown, purchas'd with Danger, be poorly lost through Rosinante's weakness? 1767 New Mod. Story Teller I. 145 Those very persons to whom their defrauded, hard-got property was ostentatiously and improperly given. 1854 Primitive Church Mag. Apr. 101/1 He coaxed out of his mother a hard-got consent to let him go to the Sunday-school. 1994 J. Nunokawa Afterlife of Prop. i. 8 He regards the hard-got family fortune as so much ‘plunder’ that must be renounced. hard-learnt adj. ΚΠ 1822 R. H. Dana Idle Man 1 No. 4. 44 If manner too often goes for character—hard learnt rules for native taste..yet it is not so in all things, nor wholly so in any. 1901 J. C. Morison Life & Times St. Bernard iv. i. 359 Zenghis..had had a long apprenticeship in the school of adversity and hard-learnt experience. 2013 Examiner (Austral.) (Nexis) 20 Oct. 22 It was..more like a survival guide, as she regaled them with her own hard-learnt lessons. hard-won adj. ΚΠ 1586 W. Warner Albions Eng. iii. xvii. 71 With hard-won Tribute hence the Conquerour did goe. 1645 D. North Forest of Varieties i. 22 Yet would the hardy youth of Greece Have giv'n his hard-won golden fleece With joy and triumph of the prize To clip but such another piece. 1743 London Mag. Jan. 42/1 O painful, hard-won victory! 1844 T. Hood The Mary in Hood's Mag. Jan. 103 Hardwon wages, on the perilous sea. 1922 A. Pound Iron Man in Industry p. xiii Others declare that it is time..to throw overboard age-honored and hard-won possessions. 2012 Independent 14 Dec. 19/3 Russians, like people everywhere, enjoy their hard-won consumer comforts too much. hard-wrung adj. ΚΠ a1766 F. Sheridan Concl. Mem. Miss Sidney Bidulph (1767) V. lx. 165 Sir George made this a preliminary to his hard wrung concession. 1848 E. B. Lee Naomi xvi. 205 Humbly expressing unmerited gratitude for their hard-wrung and niggardly aid. 1914 E. W. Peattie Precipice xxxiv. 407 As she left the room..she heard the hard-wrung groan that came from his lips. 2012 Irish Times (Nexis) 7 Feb. (Features section) 12 Silence greets her hard-wrung apology. d. (a) With the sense ‘so as to be hard or tight’. ΚΠ 1539 R. Taverner tr. W. Capito Summe 150 Psalmes sig. P.vii So as it maye melte the harde frosen hartes. 1606 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iii. 137 A rude Clowne, whose hard-wrought hands, before Nothing but spades, coulters, and bills had bore. 1687 J. Shirley Accomplished Ladies Rich Closet of Rarities (ed. 2) ix. 81 Take the hard roasted yolk of an Egg. 1774 C. J. Phipps Voy. N. Pole App. 154 The axis of the pendulum is of hard-tempered steel. 1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie's Wallet viii. 185 His furrowed brow, His hard braced jaws, his purselled mou', Shewed he was nae beginner. 1896 E. Souchon in R. Park Treat. Surg. II. v. 253 In torticollis by retraction the head cannot be thoroughly straightened, and there is the persistence of a hard-stretched muscular cord. 1910 Operative Miller 15 876/3 The particles of bran..are held together by an agglutinative substance..so as to form..a hard-caked mass. 1962 F. T. Day Introd. Paper 115/1 Flint papers, a base paper coated one side with a colour and afterwards hard burnished or flint glazed to produce a high gloss, water-proof surface. 2006 Independent on Sunday 12 Feb. (Review Suppl.) 25/1 No illness outbreaks have been reported from hard-aged unpasteurised cheeses. (b) hard-beaten adj. ΚΠ 1575 G. Gascoigne Short Obseruation Coursing with Greyhoundes in Noble Arte Venerie 247 Sometimes a Hare that is commonly coursed wil know the countrie: and bycause she coueteth the hard beaten wayes, she will (of hyr self) swarue at such a way. 1645 G. Gillespie Serm. preached before House of Lords 28 Some mens hearts are like the high way, and the hard beaten road, where every foul spirit, and every lust hath walked and conversed. 1741 Chambers's Cycl. (ed. 5) at Hunting Finding himself spent, he will break herd, and fall a doubling and crossing in some hard beaten highway. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gloss. Words Antrim & Down 17 Cawsey, cassy, the paved or hard-beaten place in front of or round about a farmhouse. 1939 E. C. Fisher Seasoned Timber xiv. 191 He..broke into a swinging trot, striking his numbed feet with all his might on the hard-beaten snow of the road. 2003 M. Broida Anc. Israelites & Neighbors i. 9 Floors were usually hard-beaten earth, but some rooms were cobbled. hard-cured adj. ΚΠ 1823 Let. 20 June in Fisheries—Eng., France, Netherlands (1831) 246 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (21st Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Doc. 99) III Herrings intended for the continental market are preferred with the crown gut left attached,..neither hard cured nor hard dunted. 1900 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 3rd Ser. 11 35 In a few country districts, farmers still produce hard-cured blocks of what is by courtesy known as ‘bacon’, but which tastes of nothing but salt. 2009 S. R. Tem in E. Datlow Poe 244 The windows all around are double-barred, deep anchored in hard-cured concrete. hard-dried adj. ΚΠ 1598 F. Meres Palladis Tamia f. 83^v Swine cannot wallow in hard dryed clay. 1610 A. Nixon Swethland & Poland Warres sig. D3^v We had nothing but pickelled herrings, and salt stremlings, with some small quantity of hard dryed meates. 1721 N. Robinson Compl. Treat. Gravel & Stone i. 64 Let him..abandon as much as possible, the much eating of old kept Cheshire Cheese, as also of gross, hard dry'd, Beef, Pork, &. 1801 tr. M. H. Klaproth Analyt. Ess. Chem. Knowl. Mineral Substances I. i. xx. 250 When this mass is left to desiccate in the grinding-dish, it detaches itself from its sides, in hard-dried [Ger. hartgetrockneten], ribbon-like, and somewhat flexible bands. 1918 R. Pumpelly My Reminisc. II. lii. 732 I sat watching the sinking of a pit on a slightly raised and hard-dried part of the oasis. 2011 B. Budowle et al. Microbial Forensics (ed. 2) 195 He made traditional African drums by using hard-dried African goat and cow hides. hard-packed adj. ΚΠ 1828 Sheffield Independent 22 Nov. Cotton..in the shape of hard-packed bales. 1927 Amer. Mercury May 66/1 The sea lifts in a hollow curve of chrysoprase, whose edge goes up in smoking foam along the hard packed beaches. 2005 R. Douglas Night Song Last Tram 113 We all took off in pursuit, slipping and sliding on the hard-packed icy snow. C2. † hard-a-weather int., n., and adj. Nautical slang (Obsolete) (a) int. (with reference to the steering or manoeuvring of a ship) right (round) into the weather; (b) n. a tough, hardy person, esp. a sailor; (c) adj. able to withstand severe weather; (of a person, esp. a sailor) tough, hardy.Cf. sense 6b. ΚΠ 1691 J. Dunton Voy. round World III. ix. 355 Bout-Ship, Stedy! Stedy! Hard-up! Hard-a-weather! 1826 M. H. Barker Greenwich Hosp. 61 ‘There he goes!’ exclaimed a rough old hard-a-weather, pointing to a gladiator-looking sort of a gentleman. 1829 United Service Jrnl. ii. 493 An old, hard-aweather quarter-master said he had a boy as was made a sad villin, by these dientical [sic] felloes, cause they messt together. 1848 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 63 87 [He] wore a remarkably hard-a-weather pilot-coat. 1860 Isle of Wight Observer 3 Oct. The close of September has pretty well closed our yachting season..nevertheless, there are several hard-a-weathers still out. 1901 J. Finnemore Lover Fugitives ii. 31 I'm an old hard-a-weather sailor, and yet there you notch a point in courage clean beyond me. hard-baked adj. baked until hard; also (and in earliest use) figurative; cf. hard-boiled adj. 2b. ΚΠ 1594 J. Lyly Mother Bombie ii. iii. sig. D1^v You need not bee so crustie, you are not so hard backt. 1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke iv. 318/2 Take out of a Bakers ouen hard baked Argille, or loame, beate it, and mixe it with Vineger to a poultis. 1655 Duchess of Newcastle Worlds Olio 187 The Body..grows so full of Humours, as obstructs the Nerves and Muscles, with cold, clammy, or hard baked Flegm, as they cannot stir with a sensible Motion. 1781 Med. Museum (ed. 2) III. 609 We find in long voyages even the hard-baked sea bread productive of worms. 1858 W. Ellis Three Visits Madagascar viii. 206 Hard-baked reddish earth. 1958 ‘A. Bridge’ Portuguese Escape i. 13 The Countess is a hard-baked, publicity-minded old So-and-so, with about as much consideration for other people as a sack of dried beans! 2013 Irish Independent (Nexis) 10 Aug. 65 Billeen used to wear horseshoes on the soles of his hard-baked hobnail boots. hard-bit adj. = hard-bitten adj. 2. ΚΠ 1886 R. Kipling Departm. Ditties (ed. 2) 108 What a hard-bit gang were we. 1922 H. Clifford Further Side Silence i. 4 These ladies were hard-bit, ill-favoured young women. 1996 Japan Times 29 Apr. 11/2 As much as there is to admire in the hard-bit balladry of ‘Big Dipper’. hard-bred adj. bred to be hardy. ΚΠ 1632 R. Brome Northern Lasse i. i. sig. B Shee has a good estate..and were an apt match for one that knew how to governe it, and her; some hard bred Cittizen, crafty Lawyer, or countrey Iustice. 1777 W. Green tr. Horace Odes iv. iv. 171 This hard-bred race, Vain toss'd, and wreck'd on Tuscan seas. 1875 ‘A. Leigh’ New Minnesinger 63 The hard-bred grass doth not fear to brave The roughest storms that may blow. 2001 Jrnl. (Newcastle) (Nexis) 12 June 30 To we hard-bred Northerners, Scotland is just like a home from home. hard-charging adj. U.S. (a) Sport (chiefly American Football and Motor Racing) that charges or races forcefully or aggressively; (b) figurative energetic, enterprising, ambitious; go-getting.Cf. hard charger n. at hard adj. and n. Compounds 4. ΚΠ 1912 Kansas City (Missouri) Star 9 Feb. 5 b/1 It was easy enough for a hard charging backfield to gain the yardage. 1934 Syracuse Herald 14 Apr. 1/3 The changes wrought by a hard-charging group of Republican and Democratic independents. 1957 Nevada State Jrnl. 25 May 10/5 The ring-savvy Akins..fended off a hard-charging Beecham for two rounds. 1962 Public Admin. Rev. 22 203/2 C. A. Harrell..has often reminded the hard-charging young manager that ‘I regard myself as the hired hand of the city council’. 1997 Valley Independent (Monessen, Pa.) 15 Aug. b2/6 Button nearly won a feature race..a few weeks ago and is a hard charging driver. 2005 D. M. Abrashoff Get Your Ship Together iii. 76 Roger handed over day-to-day responsibility to a hard-charging young manager who had caught his eye. hard-cooked adj. cooked until hard; thoroughly cooked; spec. (of an egg) cooked until the white and yolk are solid (cf. hard-boiled adj. 1a). ΚΠ 1827 Domest. Econ. & Cookery for Rich & Poor 554 Some stomachs cannot digest hard cooked white of egg. 1847 J. Coulter Adventures Western Coast S. Amer. I. iv. 41 I placed..some hard-cooked meat and a few sea-biscuits into my forage-bag. 1932 Extension Mag. Feb. 56/1 There may be thin slices of Swiss Cheese, various sausages, head cheese or liver paté—even hard-cooked or stuffed eggs. 1967 M. Terry Gloaming 14 You eat those hard-cooked carrots for me on Wednesday nights. 2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 26 July d3/2 Taim was among the first to offer the sabich, a pita sandwich of fried eggplant and hard-cooked egg. hard drawn adj. †(a) (of breath) drawn in with difficulty (obsolete rare); (b) (of wire or tubing) drawn when at room temperature, so that the diameter is reduced without annealing (cf. drawn adj. 3). ΚΠ 1627 T. May tr. Lucan Pharsalia (new ed.) iv. sig. F8 Breathings hard drawne their ulcer'd palates teare. ?1755 J. Smeaton Descr. New Pyrometer 17 (table) Thick brass with wire hard drawn. 1854 C. Tomlinson Cycl. Useful Arts II. 1011/2 Hard-drawn and unannealed wires..are straightened..by drawing them through a riddle. 1995 This Old House May 59/2 The pipe used in home plumbing is 99.99 percent pure copper... It comes in lengths (‘hard drawn copper’) or in flexible, annealed coils. hard-driven adj. (and n.) that is driven strongly or forcibly (in various senses of driven adj.); also as n. (with the and plural agreement) people who are hard-driven as a class (cf. drive v. 25). ΚΠ 1635 Bp. J. Hall Char. of Man 25 Oh that hard-driven, and miserable paire! 1746 Sir Robert Walpole Vindicated 18 This hard-driven unfortunate great Man, whom I think I have effectually justified. 1902 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Amer. Rev. Dec. 762 The poor and the hard-driven. 1949 R. K. Merton Social Theory i. Introd. 17 A small, hard-driven group of professors. 1999 G. Cox Dict. Sport ii. 86/2 Spike, a hard-driven ball that is hit when trying to score or gain a side out. hard-fought adj. fought, contested, or played with much effort, or in difficult circumstances; cf. hard-won adj. at Compounds 1c(b). ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > dissent > contention or strife > [adjective] > that is the subject of contention > strongly contested stiffc1250 hard-fought1633 well-disputed1654 pull devil, pull baker (also parson, tailor, etc.)1778 ding-dong1795 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue v. xi. sig. Eiv A hard foughten feeld, where no man scapeth vnkyld.] 1633 W. Watts Swedish Intelligencer: 3rd & 4th Pts. iii. 153 The reason now, the slaughter was no greater, in such a long and hard fought battell: was for that there was no chase after the Victory. 1788 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall V. xlix. 110 A hard-fought day, as the two armies alternately yielded and advanced. 1855 Knickerbocker Apr. 335 A ball through his frontal bone Laid him flat on his back on the hard-fought ground. 1920 Sat. Evening Post 29 May 20/1 This campaign enabled Mr. Allen..to be nominated without making a speech or even writing a letter, in a hard-fought primary contest. 2010 T. Mason & E. Riedi Sport & Mil. ii. 58 Drawn games were decided by ‘subsidiary goals’ (near misses, in effect) to avoid dangerous scrimmages at the end of hard-fought matches. hard-hit adj. severely stricken by misfortune, grief, or disaster; (also) deeply in love (now rare). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [adjective] > suffering misfortune > stricken by misfortune star-crossed1597 star-cross1608 planet-struck1609 planet-stricken1615 sparrow-blasteda1652 hard-hit1826 1826 Kaleidoscope 31 Jan. 247/3 The Squire was hard hit by this nonchalance. 1844 M. G. Blessington Strathern I. iv. 79 Now that they know that I am hard hit with Miss Sydney..they are just as civil to me as they were before. 1909 H. G. Wells Ann Veronica ix She saw her aunt in tears, her father white-faced and hard hit. 1941 F. Ryerson & C. Clements Ever since Eve (new ed.) iii. 42 Girls don't mean anything in your life... But with me..I don't mind admitting I'm hard hit. 2013 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 Mar. a8/6 Among the top measures is a so-called citizenship salary, a type of unemployment insurance for hard-hit Italians. † hard-holding adj. Obsolete tight-fisted, miserly. ΚΠ a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 790 (MED) He es covatous and hard haldand. † hard-laced adj. Obsolete strict, unyielding; grudging, mean; (also) tightly laced; cf. strait-laced adj. ΚΠ 1557 T. North tr. A. de Guevara Diall Princes iii. xxiii. f. 193/2 What ill luck haue couetous men (hauing as thei haue their hartes so hard laced). 1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius 194 So sparyng a niggard, and hardelaced. 1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 3 That discreet sonne in Law, who knowes..how to gaine the good will of his hard-laced father in Law, and to draw him gently along, to pay his house-rent. 1875 Athenæum 9 Jan. 55/2 The damsels doze in hard-laced stays. hard-lived adj. (a) that clings tenaciously to life (cf. to die hard at die v.¹ 3b); also figurative; (b) (of a period of time) spent in hardship or reckless living. ΚΠ 1696 tr. A. Duquesne New Voy. E.-Indies xlv. 170 I believe there is no creature in the World so hard liv'd, and difficult to kill. 1749 J. Cleland Mem. Woman of Pleasure I. 146 The wretched never die when it is fittest that they should die, and women are hard-liv'd to a proverb. 1788 G. Widegren Svenskt och Engelskt Lexicon 896/1 Seglifvad, hard lived. 1825 J. F. Cooper Pioneers II. v. 61 When a body knows how to shoot, one piece of lead is enough for all, except hard-lived animals. 1862 Dublin Q. Jrnl. Med. Sci. 33 66 In some hard-lived men, bronchitis and flatulence, chiefly the result of assuming the recumbent posture, came on. 1901 H. Drummond Seven Houses i. 1 He had..paced the broad hall up and down with a tread whose firmness told little of his five-and-seventy years of hard-lived life. 2001 T. Peterson Treasures of North i. 16 The scandal would be hard-lived, and..Myrtle knew how tongues would wag if the proprieties were overlooked. hard-living adj. that lives or can survive in harsh conditions or circumstances; (now usually) that lives recklessly or without moderation. ΚΠ 1833 W. C. Brownlee Whigs of Scotl. I. 185 They're a hard-living, plodding, opinionative, mischief-brewing race of men. 1896 H. Sutcliffe Eleventh Commandment ii. 20 The old Squire was known to half the county: a hard-swearing, hard-living, hard-riding man. 1946 A. Koestler Thieves in Night i. ii. 9 The thorny, rather tasteless fruit of the cactus, grown on arid earth, tough, hard-living, scant. 2010 Independent 14 Sept. 3/1 The one-time hardliving star accepted the leading role of a mafia hitman in a film financed by Saadi. hard pushed adj. subject to great pressure or strain; in difficulties (frequently with to); cf. hard-pressed adj. 2.Now frequently in weakened use. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adjective] > having difficulty > beset with difficulties poseletc1390 withstad14.. ystadea1440 mireda1522 hard-set1572 hard-pressed1707 necessitous1711 hard pushed1785 hard-run1834 1785 D. Campbell Observ. Typhus v. 119 The opium..gains a truce for the constitution, to rally her hard-pushed powers, and make a better resistence afterwards. 1805 Monthly Mag. & Brit. Reg. 1 Apr. 310 Some brewers found themselves so hard pushed to pay the new duties, that instead of being able to speculate in malt..they were obliged to shorten their credit. 1953 T. Roscoe U.S. Destroyer Operations in World War II vi. 404/2 Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet forces provided heroic support for the hard-pushed Army troops. 2009 Independent 29 Sept. 25/5 You'd be hard pushed to find someone who hadn't heard of Gap. hard-run adj. chiefly U.S. (now rare) in difficulties or need, esp. financially. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [adjective] > having difficulty > beset with difficulties poseletc1390 withstad14.. ystadea1440 mireda1522 hard-set1572 hard-pressed1707 necessitous1711 hard pushed1785 hard-run1834 the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without > poorly supplied or equipped > specifically of persons feeblec1330 insufficient1426 unpurveyeda1492 dispurveyeda1513 penurous1594 short1763 hard-run1834 lacking1868 1834 Deb. Congr. 10 Mar. 848 Men..who, to use the mercantile phrase, are ‘hard run’ to make ends meet, and only wanting an honorable excuse to fail. 1914 T. Hardy Satires of Circumstance 36 The monotonous moils of strained, hard-run Humanity. 1954 H. Arnow Dollmaker xxi. 292 I'm glad, Gert, that after being so hard-run so long you have got plenty now. hard-spun adj. (of yarn, etc.) tightly twisted in spinning; also (and in earliest use) figurative. ΚΠ 1677 N. Lee in J. Dryden State Innocence sig. A4 You took her thence: to Court this Virgin brought Drest her with gemms, new weav'd her hard spun thought And softest language, sweetest manners taught. 1717 D. Prat Answer Snape's 2nd Let. to Bishop of Bangor 39 His whole Performance being one Contexture of hard spun Fallacies. 1774 Morning Chron. 10 Sept. Please to let him bring a dozen yards of hard-spun rope with him. 1874 Monthly Jrnl. Jan. 5/1 There is nothing so good for men's socks, as fine, hard-spun lamb's-wool. 1906 G. F. Goodchild & C. F. Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. 864/2 at Yarn The yarn is defined as soft spun, medium spun, hard spun, according to the amount of twist it has received. 2009 Paléorient 35 6/2 Whorls with a large diameter are well suited for spinning a hard-spun thread. hard-trotting adj. (of a horse) that trots in a jolting manner, or at an uncomfortable pace. ΚΠ 1597 P. Lowe Whole Course Chirurg. v. xxiv. sig. P3^v Riding on hard trotting horses. 1664 S. Pepys Diary 5 Aug. (1971) IV. 234 A hard-trotting Sorrell horse. 1776 T. Cogan John Buncle I. iii. 129 I find this Pegasus such a hard trotting animal, to those who are not much used to ride him. 1822 J. M. Good Study Med. I. 417 Such exercise as gives a general jar to the animal frame, as riding a hard-trotting horse. 1903 Amer. Med. 27 Feb. 369/1 When they traveled they rode hard-trotting hacks or drove in a gig over rough roads. 1990 St. Petersburg Times (Florida) (Nexis) 12 Mar. (Hernando Times section) 1 If you get a hard-trotting horse it's very uncomfortable. hard-twisted adj. (of rope, yarn, etc.) tightly twisted; cf. hard-spun adj. ΚΠ 1587 L. Mascall First Bk. Cattell 42 A rope of haire, or some other hard twisted rope. 1609 T. Dekker Ravens Almanacke (STC 6519.2) sig. H Shee drew out..two three stringed whippes of sharp and hard twisted cordes. 1721 L. Braddon Proposal for Relieving Poor of Great Brit. 36 Persons are oblig'd, to keep to the Spinning of one Kind of Thread only, and not suffer'd to shift, from Fine to Coarse, from loose to hard twisted Threads. 1892 E. A. Posselt Struct. Fibres, Yarns & Fabrics (ed. 2) i. 64 Hard-twisted yarn will not bend as easily around the filling during weaving as a soft yarn. 1962 J. T. Marsh Self-smoothing Fabrics xi. 168 Cotton voiles with their hard-twisted yarns may be impregnated on a mangle whose bowls have been wrapped with a fine cloth. 2005 C. Mendelson Laundry ii. xvi. 237 A Jacquard-woven carpet with hard-twisted loops. hard-wearing adj. able to stand a considerable amount of wear or use; durable. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective] > durable lastinga1375 durable1398 perdurable?a1425 during1601 hard-wearing1850 heavy-duty1914 service weight1919 1850 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 23 Nov. 1/5 (advt.) Hats, combining the following advantages: a sound hard-wearing body, [etc.]. 1897 Ann. Rep. Dept. Agric. Ont. 1896 2 17 The object in placing a coating of gravel on a dirt road is not merely to form a hard wearing surface. 1949 Daily Mirror 2 May 4 He toured the shops..for a pair of hard-wearing flannel trousers. 2008 Independent 6 Mar. (Extra section) 24/5 Lightweight and hard-wearing, these frames are made from titanium. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < adj.n.eOEv.eOEadv.eOE
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hardadj.n.

Phrases

Compounds

† hardv.

Derivatives

hardadv.

Phrases

Compounds