Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One that hardens, especially a substance added to varnish or paint to give it a harder surface or finish.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who or that which makes hard or more firm and compact; specifically, one who brings cutting instruments or tools up to the required temper; a temperer.
  • noun In photography, a chemical, such as alum, which is added to the fixing-bath in the making of gelatin negatives. It prevents the dissolving of the film in warm weather.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who, or that which, hardens; specif., one who tempers tools.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One who, or that which, hardens.
  • noun A chemical substance added to something in order to harden it; used especially with paints, varnishes and resins.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

harden +‎ -er

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Examples

  • Bondo is a sort of goop, mixed from polyester resin and a hardener, that is used to fill in dents and dings in battered race cars.

    The Seattle Times 2010

  • He acknowledged that there are times when he uses a performance-enhancing substance: nail hardener.

    For Dickey, It's All in the Fingernails Scott Cacciola 2011

  • It comes in two tubes, one with steel dust and then a hardener.

    The Things He Carried 2008

  • The closure is first induced by a change in the electrical charge across the membrane, and then by a release of a chemical hardener that cross-links the gelatinous outer membrane coating.

    Assessing Causality 2008

  • I use Stearic Acid as a hardener in almost every candle I make - even if it's just 3-5%, it seems to help.

    Weight Versus Volume Anne-Marie 2008

  • It comes in two tubes, one with steel dust and then a hardener.

    The Things He Carried 2008

  • The haul truck driver furloughed with 600 fellow Steelworkers Feb. 13 from Freeport McMoRan's Chino mine in New Mexico, where they extracted copper and molybdenum, a steel hardener, offers this story:

    Leo W. Gerard: Build More Autos Overseas: Marginalize More U.S. Families 2009

  • Many experiments have shown that BPA, a synthetic estrogen as well as a plastics hardener, disrupts the endocrine system and causes a growing list of chronic, often permanent disorders in lab animals.

    Elaine Shannon: About BPA: Do You Feel Lucky? 2009

  • It comes with a hardener that must be mixed with the resin and applied within a few hours.

    Page 2 2007

  • A couple weeks ago I asked a phebotomist, He said it is used in biological systems as a hardener, in teeth of course, and in certain whale's sonar mellons.

    Wingnut Murder Spree or Are WE Part of the Problem? 2009

Comments

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  • I SWEAR.

    June 21, 2008

  • Get outta town!

    June 21, 2008

  • Do you have softener as well?

    June 21, 2008

  • Nope, but I have a thickener... Is it socially acceptable?

    June 21, 2008

  • Yikes! *looking away*

    June 21, 2008

  • Hmmmm. These products are for your head collection, no?

    June 21, 2008

  • Yes, they are mostly for it.

    June 21, 2008

  • Now on the wordie flickr group.

    June 21, 2008