Hardy \Har"dy\, a. [Compar. Hardier; superl. Hardiest.]
[F.
hardi, p. p. fr. OF. hardir to make bold; of German origin,
cf. OHG. hertan to harden, G. h["a]rten. See Hard, a.]
1. Bold; brave; stout; daring; resolu?e; intrepid.
Hap helpeth hardy man alway. --Chaucer.
2. Confident; full of assurance; in a bad sense, morally
hardened; shameless.
3. Strong; firm; compact.
[A] blast may shake in pieces his hardy fabric.
--South.
4. Inured to fatigue or hardships; strong; capable of
endurance; as, a hardy veteran; a hardy mariner.
5. Able to withstand the cold of winter.
Note: Plants which are hardy in Virginia may perish in New
England. Half-hardy plants are those which are able to
withstand mild winters or moderate frosts.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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