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harden off

British

verb

(adverb) to accustom (a cultivated plant) or (of such a plant) to become accustomed to outdoor conditions by repeated exposure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Remember to harden off, or acclimate, homegrown starts by giving them a few midday hours of sunbathing for about five days before planting them outside.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2022

If possible, move the potted seedlings into a cold frame to harden off for a few days before planting.

From Seattle Times • May 19, 2016

You can leave the tubers in the ground for a couple of weeks to harden off a bit, and then lift them carefully with a garden fork.

From Washington Post

When established remove them to a cold frame and harden off.

From Gardening for the Million by Pink, Alfred

Sow the seed early in spring in a slight heat, harden off gradually, and put out at the end of May in a warm, sheltered spot.

From Gardening for the Million by Pink, Alfred

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023