hard water

noun

water that contains magnesium, calcium, or iron salts and therefore forms a soap lather with difficulty.

Words nearby hard water

hard time, hard times token, hard tubercle, hard ulcer, hard up, hard water, hard way, the, hard wheat, hard yards, hard-and-fast, hard-ass

Example sentences from the Web for hard water

  • Every drop of hard-water we consumed had to be brought to our doors and paid for by the “Hessian” or bucket.

    Recollections of Old Liverpool |A Nonagenarian

  • These crispy croutons answer as a substitute for hard-water crackers and are also relished by most people.

    The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) |Mrs. F.L. Gillette

  • A French commissioner reported that apparently people in hard-water districts had a better physique than in soft-water districts.

    Rural Hygiene |Henry N. Ogden

Cultural definitions for hard water

hard water

Water in which dissolved minerals make it difficult to produce a lather with soap.

notes for hard water

Hard water is usually associated with well water in regions where the rocks contain a large proportion of iron-bearing minerals.