stiffen

From Middle English stifnen, equivalent to stiff +‎ -en.

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɪfən/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -ɪfən

stiffen (third-person singular simple present stiffens, present participle stiffening, simple past and past participle stiffened)

1. (transitive) To make stiff.
2. (intransitive) To become stiff.
   • 2003, Yoko Ogawa, The Housekeeper and the Professor:

     Bewildered by the unexpected greeting, my son stiffened, but managed a polite answer.

• starken

• stiffen up

• stiff

• infefts