The Collaborative International Dictionary
Stiffen \Stiff"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stiffened; p. pr. & vb. n. Stiffening.] [See Stiff.]
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To make stiff; to make less pliant or flexible; as, to stiffen cloth with starch.
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.
--Shak. To inspissate; to make more thick or viscous; as, to stiffen paste.
To make torpid; to benumb.
Wiktionary
vb. (en-past of: stiffen)
WordNet
adj. made or become difficult to move or bend; "felt the pain of stiffened joints"
stiffened or reinforced with wire; "stiffened brassieres"
Usage examples of "stiffened".
Now he spun about, pinning Cavery suddenly with a stiffened forefinger.
As he folded, Lunzie delivered a solid chop to the back of his neck with her stiffened hand.
I tried to comfort him, but it was the appearance of his younger brother, Fenian, drunken, strutting in premature triumph, that stiffened Maxil's resolve.
Afra stiffened with pain and Damia quickly established a block, spreading it over the damaged edges.
She got safely back, rubbing hands stiffened by clutching the cumbersome thick vine, torn between a desire to get closer and the wisdom of remaining unseen.
Something that felt almost boneless at first stiffened into a leg over which she was flipped - but she coiled in midair, managed to hang onto a wrist, and flipped Gelory in her turn.
His face stiffened, then she saw dawning respect in his eyes: he was a stickler for protocol, but he liked people with gumption.
As-- She stiffened, puBed her head back, and tried to see his face in the darkened hall.
He held his arms up: one in a knuckled fist, the other open in a stiffened blade.
She stiffened, then forced herself to put up a hand and pat it gently.
Joseph whirled aside like a matador as the lunge was thrown his way, stepping inside the curve of the outstretched arm and driving the stiffened fingers of one hand up under the spacer's ribs.
The springing griffin stiffened in midair, and dropped heavily to the floor on its belly.
Afra did not like the knowing way Reidinger eyed him and stiffened, tightening his shields - in case it would do him any good in the presence of this man.
Afra stiffened with pain and Damia quickly established a block, regardless of the cost to her own recent recovery.
And then he held up his hand, grinning so winningly when Killashandra stiffened at such a flagrant breach of privacy that she couldn't, after all, take offense.