[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

hard \hard\ haumrd, a. compar. harder -~er; superl.
   hardest. oe. hard, heard, as. heard; akin to os.  d.
   hard, g. hart, ohg. herti, harti, icel. harethr, dan.
   haard, sw. hard, goth. hardus, gr. kraty`s strong,
   ka`rtos, kra`tos, strength, and also to e. -ard, as in
   coward, drunkard, -crat, -cracy in autocrat, democracy; cf.
   skr. kratu strength, k.r to do, make. cf. hardy.
   1. not easily penetrated, cut, or separated into parts; not
      yielding to pressure; firm; solid; compact; -- applied to
      material bodies, and opposed to soft; as, hard wood;
      hard flesh; a hard apple.
      1913 webster

   2. difficult, mentally or judicially; not easily apprehended,
      decided, or resolved; as a hard problem.
      1913 webster

            the hard causes they brought unto moses. --ex.
                                                  xviii. 26.
      1913 webster

            in which are some things hard to be understood. --2
                                                  peter iii. 16.
      1913 webster

   3. difficult to accomplish; full of obstacles; laborious;
      fatiguing; arduous; as, a hard task; a disease hard to
      cure.
      1913 webster

   4. difficult to resist or control; powerful.
      1913 webster

            the stag was too hard for the horse.  --l'estrange.
      1913 webster

            a power which will be always too hard for them.
                                                  --addison.
      1913 webster

   5. difficult to bear or endure; not easy to put up with or
      consent to; hence, severe; rigorous; oppressive;
      distressing; unjust; grasping; as, a hard lot; hard times;
      hard fare; a hard winter; hard conditions or terms.
      1913 webster

            i never could drive a hard bargain.   --burke.
      1913 webster

   6. difficult to please or influence; stern; unyielding;
      obdurate; unsympathetic; unfeeling; cruel; as, a hard
      master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character.
      1913 webster

   7. not easy or agreeable to the taste; harsh; stiff; rigid;
      ungraceful; repelling; as, a hard style.
      1913 webster

            figures harder than even the marble itself.
                                                  --dryden.
      1913 webster

   8. rough; acid; sour, as liquors; as, hard cider.
      1913 webster

   9. pron. abrupt or explosive in utterance; not aspirated,
      sibilated, or pronounced with a gradual change of the
      organs from one position to another; -- said of certain
      consonants, as c in came, and g in go, as distinguished
      from the same letters in center, general, etc.
      1913 webster

   10. wanting softness or smoothness of utterance; harsh; as, a
       hard tone.
       1913 webster

   11. painting
       a rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures;
           formal; lacking grace of composition.
       b having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in the
           coloring or light and shade.
           1913 webster

   hard cancer, hard case, etc. see under cancer, case,
      etc.

   hard clam, or hard-shelled clam zool., the quahog.

   hard coal, anthracite, as distinguished from bituminous
      coal soft coal.

   hard and fast. naut. see under fast.

   hard finish arch., a smooth finishing coat of hard fine
      plaster applied to the surface of rough plastering.

   hard lines, hardship; difficult conditions.

   hard money, coin or specie, as distinguished from paper
      money.

   hard oyster zool., the northern native oyster. local, u.
      s.

   hard pan, the hard stratum of earth lying beneath the soil;
      hence, figuratively, the firm, substantial, fundamental
      part or quality of anything; as, the hard pan of
      character, of a matter in dispute, etc. see pan.

   hard rubber. see under rubber.

   hard solder. see under solder.

   hard water, water, which contains lime or some mineral
      substance rendering it unfit for washing. see hardness,
      3.

   hard wood, wood of a solid or hard texture; as walnut, oak,
      ash, box, and the like, in distinction from pine, poplar,
      hemlock, etc.

   in hard condition, in excellent condition for racing;
      having firm muscles; -- said of race horses.

   syn: solid; arduous; powerful; trying; unyielding; stubborn;
        stern; flinty; unfeeling; harsh; difficult; severe;
        obdurate; rigid. see solid, and arduous.
        1913 webster
see also:
harder hardest hardy soft hard cancer hard case 
cancer case hard clam hard-shelled clam hard coal 
bituminous coal soft coal hard and fast fast hard finish 
hard lines hard money hard oyster hard pan pan 
hard rubber rubber hard solder solder hard water 
hardness hard wood in hard condition solid arduous 

Clam >> C Words
Clam, definition of term: Clam
clam_pag1.html