stiffness
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English
Etymology
From Middle English stiffenes, styffenesse, styfnesse; equivalent to stiff + -ness. Perhaps merging with Middle English stithnesse, stithnysse, from Old English stīþness (“stiffness”).
Pronunciation
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Noun
stiffness (countable and uncountable, plural stiffnesses)
- Rigidity or a measure of rigidity.
- Inflexibility or a measure of inflexibility.
- Inelegance; a lack of relaxedness.
- His stiffness hampered the conversation.
- 1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations:
- Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
- Muscular tension due to unaccustomed or excessive exercise or work; soreness.
Derived terms
Translations
rigidity
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inflexibility
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inelegance; lack of relaxedness
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muscular tension
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Translations to be checked
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