stiffen
pronunciation
How to pronounce stiffen in British English:
UK [ˈstɪfn]
How to pronounce stiffen in American English:
US [ˈstɪfən]
-
- Verb:
- become stiff or stiffer
- make stiff or stiffer
- restrict
Word Origin
- stiffen (v.)
- early 15c., "make steadfast," from stiff (adj.) + -en (1). Intransitive sense from 1690s. Earlier verb was simply stiff "gain strength, become strong" (late 14c.). Related: Stiffened; stiffener; stiffening. Compare German steifen "to stiffen."
Example
- 1. Glue the ends of the ribbons to stiffen them up and make threading easier .
- 2. Congress will stiffen oversight of offshore drilling and boost the penalties for lapses .
- 3. Joints stiffen as their molecular mesh of collagen tightens , the same process that helped to strengthen them in early life .
- 4. Flammang thinks the shark uses the muscle she characterized to stiffen the tail midswing , changing its shape slightly , to throw off the extra vortex .
- 5. Over the years , the heart and artery walls thicken and stiffen , which often results in high blood pressure and plaque buildup .