hard water


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Related to hard water: water softener

hard water

- That which contains large amounts of minerals.
See also related terms for minerals.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hard water

Water that contains an appreciable amount of dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium. Such salts interfere with the action of soap. In the early days of the twentieth century, most rural water came from wells, and most of it was hard. Indeed, in some places, it was reputed to be so hard that a rock dropped into the well would bounce when it hit the water. Slight amounts of dissolved material in drinking water were often preferred because of the taste, but soft water was preferred for washing hair and clothes.
1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.hard water - water that contains mineral salts (as calcium and magnesium ions) that limit the formation of lather with soap
H2O, water - binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
soft water - water that is not hard (does not contain mineral salts that interfere with the formation of lather with soap)
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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Hard water versus your skin
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