noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English stifnesse, from stif, adjective, stiff + -nesse -ness
1.
a. : density , rigidity
14 kinds of varnish each differing in stiffness — F.W.Hoch
toothbrushes vary in the stiffness of their bristles
b. : resistance (as of a structural beam) to bending under stresses within the elastic limit — opposed to compliance ; compare deflection 3a
c. : resistance of a ship to rolling : stability
2.
a. : lack of suppleness : inflexibility
pains in the limbs and growing stiffness , finally, paralysis — Monsanto Magazine
b. : firmness of attitude : resolution , obduracy
unyielding stiffness of will — O.J.Baab
c. : lack of ease or grace : punctilious conduct : formality , constraint
the stiffness of conventional opera — Arthur Knight
had given up his stiffness and begun to laugh — Vicki Baum