rig·id

[rij-id]
adjective
1.
stiff or unyielding; not pliant or flexible; hard: a rigid strip of metal.
2.
firmly fixed or set.
3.
inflexible, strict, or severe: a rigid disciplinarian; rigid rules of social behavior.
4.
exacting; thorough; rigorous: a rigid examination.
5.
so as to meet precise standards; stringent: lenses ground to rigid specifications.
6.
Mechanics. of, pertaining to, or noting a body in which the distance between any pair of points remains fixed under all forces; having infinite values for its shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Young's modulus.
7.
Aeronautics.
a.
(of an airship or dirigible) having a form maintained by a stiff, unyielding structure contained within the envelope.
b.
pertaining to a helicopter rotor that is held fixedly at its root.

Origin:
1530–40; < Latin rigidus, equivalent to rig(ēre) to be stiff, stiffen + -idus -id4

ri·gid·i·ty, rig·id·ness, noun
rig·id·ly, adverb
o·ver·rig·id, adjective
o·ver·rig·id·ly, adverb
o·ver·rig·id·ness, noun
o·ver·ri·gid·i·ty, noun
sub·rig·id, adjective
sub·rig·id·ly, adverb
sub·rig·id·ness, noun
sub·ri·gid·i·ty, noun
un·rig·id, adjective
un·rig·id·ly, adverb
un·rig·id·ness, noun


1. unbending, firm, inflexible. 2. immovable, static. 3. austere, stern, unyielding. See strict. 4, 5. demanding.


1. elastic. 3. lax.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To rigid
00:10
Rigid is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
rigid (ˈrɪdʒɪd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  not bending; physically inflexible or stiff: a rigid piece of plastic
2.  unbending; rigorously strict; severe: rigid rules
 
adv
3.  completely or excessively: the lecture bored him rigid
 
[C16: from Latin rigidus, from rigēre to be stiff]
 
'rigidly
 
adv
 
ri'gidity
 
n
 
'rigidness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

rigid
1538, from L. rigidus "hard, stiff, rough, severe," from rigere "be stiff," from PIE *reig- "stretch (tight), bind tightly, make fast" (cf. O.Ir. riag "torture," M.H.G. ric "band, string"), related to L. frigus "cold," Gk. rhigos "frost, cold."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Instead of being flexible and responsive, the existing structure is rigid and
  reactive.
Instead of rigid bones, axons are built around structural elements, mostly
  bundles of filaments called microtubules.
If it fails to keep the peace, the border may end up more rigid than either
  side wants.
The transistors are sandwiches of metals and insulators that must be laid down
  on a flat surface, which produces a rigid display.
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