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# hardness

noun (hardness — uncountable)

«hardness» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Hardness is how hard something is: how well it resists being scratched, dented or pressed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#m1)
2. Hardness of water means how many minerals, like calcium, are dissolved in it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#m2)
3. Hardness can mean being harsh or unkind (hardness of heart). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science lessons on materials, pupils test hardness by scratching materials with a fingernail, a coin or a nail; diamond is the hardest natural material. Geologists use the Mohs scale, from talc (1, softest) to diamond (10, hardest). Hard water leaves white limescale in kettles. In stories, hardness of a character means they seem cold and unkind.

### Examples

- We tested the hardness of different rocks by scratching them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x1)
- Diamond has the greatest hardness of any natural material. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x2)
- The hardness of the wood made it difficult to hammer a nail in. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x3)
- Talc is at the bottom of the hardness scale. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x4)
- Hard water leaves white marks in the kettle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x5)
- The hardness in his voice surprised her. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable noun from «hard» + -ness. Hardness is not the same as strength: glass is hard but breaks easily (it is brittle). On the Mohs scale a higher number means harder; each material scratches those with lower numbers.

## In Jewish tradition

In Lamentations it means a stubborn, closed heart given as a curse.

**Interpretation.** In Sefer Yetzirah the double letters, which can be hard or soft, stand for opposites such as softness and hardness, strength and weakness.

### Examples

- The \[33\] seven double letters, בגד כפרת with a duplicity of pronunciation, aspirated and unaspirated, namely: ,תּת ,רּר ,פּפ ,כּכ ,דּד ,גּג ,בּב serve as a model of softness and hardness, strength and weakness. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/hardness/#x1)
- Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them. (Writings LAM.3.65, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/hardness/#x2)

### Note

Uncountable noun from «hard» + -ness. Hardness is not the same as strength: glass is hard but breaks easily (it is brittle). On the Mohs scale a higher number means harder; each material scratches those with lower numbers.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «hardness» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«hardness» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hardness.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «hardness» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/hardness/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«hardness» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/hardness.html) on Mova free.