stiffen
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Related to stiffeners: Girders
stiff·en
(stĭf′ən)tr. & intr.v. stiff·ened, stiff·en·ing, stiff·ens
To make or become stiff or stiffer.
stiff′en·er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
stiffen
(ˈstɪfən)vb
1. to make or become stiff or stiffer
2. (intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding
ˈstiffener n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
stiff•en
(ˈstɪf ən)v.t.
1. to make stiff.
v.i. 2. to become stiff.
[1490–1500]
stiff′en•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
stiffen
Past participle: stiffened
Gerund: stiffening
| Imperative |
|---|
| stiffen |
| stiffen |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | stiffen - become stiff or stiffer; "He stiffened when he saw his boss enter the room" change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" rigidify - become rigid; "The body rigidified" |
| 2. | stiffen - make stiff or stiffer; "Stiffen the cream by adding gelatine" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" starch - stiffen with starch; "starch clothes" buckram - stiffen with or as with buckram; "buckram the skirt" | |
| 3. | stiffen - restrict; "Tighten the rules"; "stiffen the regulations" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
stiffen
verb
1. become stiff, set, harden, gel, thicken, solidify, crystallize, congeal, coagulate, become solid The fine-tuning lens in the eye stiffens with age.
2. tighten, tense (up), tauten, become stiff The blood supply to the skin is reduced when muscles stiffen.
3. strengthen, reinforce, harden, toughen Canada has recently stiffened its immigration rules.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
stiffen
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَتَصَلَّب
vyztužitztuhnout
stivestivne
jähmettääjähmettyäjäykistääjäykistyä
megmerevítmerevít
gera stíft; stífna
întări
vystužiť
kasılmaksertleş mek
stiffen
[ˈstɪfn]A. VT
3. (fig) [+ morale, resistance etc] → fortalecer
B. VI
2. (also stiffen up) [limb, muscle] → contraerse, ponerse tieso; [joint] → agarrotarse
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
stiffen
[ˈstɪfən] vt
[+ cloth] → raidir; [+ paper] → rigidifier
[+ muscles] → raidir
(= strengthen) [+ attitude, laws] → durcir
to stiffen sb's resolve → affermir qn dans sa résolution
It only stiffens our resolve → Cela ne fait que nous affermir dans notre résolution.
to stiffen sb's resolve → affermir qn dans sa résolution
It only stiffens our resolve → Cela ne fait que nous affermir dans notre résolution.
vi
[person, face] (with fear, anger) → se figer
(also stiffen up) [muscles] → se raidir
(= become stronger) [resistance] → se durcir; [resolve] → s'affermir
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
stiffen
(also stiffen up)Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
stiffen
[ˈstɪfn]Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
stiff
(stif) adjective1. rigid or firm, and not easily bent, folded etc. He has walked with a stiff leg since he injured his knee; stiff cardboard.
2. moving, or moved, with difficulty, pain etc. I can't turn the key – the lock is stiff; I woke up with a stiff neck; I felt stiff the day after the climb.
3. (of a cooking mixture etc) thick, and not flowing. a stiff dough.
4. difficult to do. a stiff examination.
5. strong. a stiff breeze.
6. (of a person or his manner etc) formal and unfriendly. I received a stiff note from the bank manager.
ˈstiffly adverbˈstiffness noun
ˈstiffen verb
to make or become stiff(er). You can stiffen cotton with starch; He stiffened when he heard the unexpected sound.
ˈstiffening noun material used to stiffen something. The collar has some stiffening in it.
bore/scare stiff to bore or frighten very much.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.