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hardener

hardener

1 5.5
A substance added to paint or resin to make it firm
  • noun
  • /ˈhɑrdənər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : endurecedor
  • More specifically, the standard liquid bisphenol A epoxy with polyamine hardener has proven to be very durable in wastewater tanks.
  • nail hardener
  • resin and hardener
  • epoxy resin and hardener

Examples

  • I'm sure in another week or so, when standard late spring temperatures finally arrive, the epoxy will fully cure in 24 hours in my basement, but for the colder parts of the year, I'll need to use EZ-LAM 30 or just start experimenting with the West System hardeners.

    Blog text (13)
  • My fragile fingernails with slenderizing potential offer me no disguise; they break off despite multiple coats of colored lacquer, hardener, acrylic, and silk.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • As a scientist, he holds patents on hardeners for film emulsions and on offset printing plates used in graphic arts color printing presses.

    Academic text (1995)
  • As soon as the floor dried, about 20–60 minutes, the crew followed the same procedure to harden and densify the floor with Consolideck LS lithium-silicate hardener/densifier.

    Blog text (23)
  • To create a strong bond, mix the hardener with the resin carefully according to the instructions.

  • For best results, always add the hardener to the paint before applying it to the surface.

  • When repairing a broken object, make sure to combine the glue with a hardener for a durable finish.

Antonyms

23 3.0

A substance added to make clothes, hair, or water softer

Surface Forms

hardener singular
hardeners plural

Morphology

hardener = harden (transparent) = hard + en + er

Formed by adding the agent/nominalizing suffix '-er' to the clear verb 'harden', which itself is transparently derived from 'hard'.

Etymology

Hardener comes from the word hard ('not soft') plus the ending -er, which means a 'maker' or 'thing that makes something'. So a hardener is a substance that makes paint, resin, or other materials harder, which is exactly what the name says.