hardnesses
/ˈhɑːrdnəsɪz/ · hard·ness·es
noun
- The quality of being hard. The hardnesses of the different minerals were measured with a Mohs scale.
- An instance of this quality; hardship. She endured many hardnesses during the long winter trek.
- The quantity of calcium carbonate dissolved in water, usually expressed in parts per million (ppm). The laboratory recorded the hardnesses of the three water samples as 120, 250, and 400 ppm.
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Did you know? The plural 'hardnesses' is rarely used outside technical contexts, but appears in early 20th‑century water‑treatment manuals when comparing the hardness of multiple water sources.