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stiffen

 [stif-uhn]  

stiff·en

   [stif-uhn]
verb (used with object)
1.
to make stiff.
verb (used without object)
2.
to become stiff.
3.
to become suddenly tense, rigid, or taut, as in bracing oneself for or drawing back from shock, fear, or displeasure: He stiffened, expecting to hear the worst.

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Stiffen is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to run away hurriedly; flee.
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Origin:
1490–1500; stiff + -en1

Related forms
o·ver·stiff·en, verb
un·stiff·ened, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To stiffen
Collins
World English Dictionary
stiffen (ˈstɪfən)
 
—vb
1.  to make or become stiff or stiffer
2.  (intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding
 
'stiffener
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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