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rigidity

 - 6 dictionary results
Rigidity in Parkinson's
Rigidity Can Be a Sign of Parkinson's Disease. Learn More Now
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rig⋅id

  [rij-id]
Use rigidity in a Sentence
–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; < L rigidus, equiv. to rig(ēre) to be stiff, stiffen + -idus -id 4

Related forms:
ri⋅gid⋅i⋅ty, rig⋅id⋅ness, noun
rig⋅id⋅ly, adverb

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

Antonyms:
1. elastic. 3. lax.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To rigidity
Rigidity in Parkinson's
Rigidity Can Be a Sign of Parkinson's Disease. Learn More Now
Parkinsons-Education.com
ri·gid·i·ty   (rĭ-jĭd'ĭ-tē)   
n.   pl. ri·gid·i·ties

  1. The quality or state of being rigid.

  2. An instance of being rigid.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: rig·id
Pronunciation: 'rij-&d
Function: adjective
: deficient in or devoid of flexibility : characterized by stiffness<rigid muscles>

Main Entry: ri·gid·i·ty
Pronunciation: r&-'jid-&t-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ties
: thequality or state of being rigid: as a : abnormal stiffness of muscle <rigidity of the abdominal wall in peritonitis> rigidity> b : emotional inflexibility and resistance to change
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

rigidity ri·gid·i·ty (rĭ-jĭd'ĭ-tē)
n.

  1. The quality or state of stiffness or inflexibility. Also called rigor.

  2. An aspect of the personality characterized by resistance to change.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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