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.
10. Wanting softness or smoothness of utterance; harsh; as, a hard tone.
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. Hard cancer, Hard case, etc. See under Cancer, Case, etc. — Hard clam, or Hard-shelled clam (Zoöl.), the guahog. — Hard coal, anthracite, as distinguished from bituminous or 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 (Zoöl.), 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.
HARD
Hard, adv. Etym: [OE. harde, AS. hearde.]
1. With pressure; with urgency; hence, diligently; earnestly. And prayed so hard for mercy from the prince. Dryden. My father Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself. Shak.
2. With difficulty; as, the vehicle moves hard.
3. Uneasily; vexatiously; slowly. Shak.
4. So as to raise difficulties. " The guestion is hard set". Sir T. Browne.
5. With tension or strain of the powers; violently; with force; tempestuously; vehemently; vigorously; energetically; as, to press, to blow, to rain hard; hence, rapidly; as, to run hard.