[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hardness.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / hardness

[← H](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/H/)

# hardness

«hardness» in Mova's school dictionary: **how hard something is: how well it resists being…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (hardness — uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Hardness is how hard something is: how well it resists being scratched, dented or pressed. [tree →](https://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#m2)

3) Hardness can mean being harsh or unkind (hardness of heart). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#m3)

### sense 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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x1)
- Diamond has the greatest hardness of any natural material. [tree →](https://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x3)
- Talc is at the bottom of the hardness scale. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x4)
- Hard water leaves white marks in the kettle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/#x5)
- The hardness in his voice surprised her. [tree →](https://md.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 the corpora

- [Geologists identify minerals by hardness, colour, lustre (shine), streak and how they break.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/geography/50-minerals-and-crystals/11/)
- [Hardness of minerals is compared by scratching: a harder mineral scratches a softer one; diamond is the hardest natural mineral.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/61-rocks-minerals-fossils/17/)
- [Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/LAM.118/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «hardness» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hardness/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.