QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of firm

1
1300–50; < Latin firmus; replacing Middle English ferm < Middle French < Latin

SYNONYMS FOR firm

1 Firm, hard, solid, stiff are applied to substances that tend to retain their form unaltered in spite of pressure or force. Firm often implies that something has been brought from a yielding state to a fixed or elastic one: An increased amount of pectin makes jellies firm. Hard is applied to substances so resistant that it is difficult to make any impression upon their surface or to penetrate their interior: as hard as a stone. Solid is applied to substances that without external support retain their form and resist pressure: Water in the form of ice is solid. It sometimes denotes the opposite of hollow: a solid block of marble. Stiff implies rigidity that resists a bending force: as stiff as a poker.
2 fast, stable, immovable.
4 established, confirmed.
5 determined, immovable, staunch, reliable.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR firm ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM firm

firm·ly, adverbfirm·ness, noun

Words nearby firm

firing party, firing pin, firing range, firing squad, firkin, firm, firmament, firman, firmer chisel, firmer gouge, firmware

Definition for firm (2 of 2)

firm2
[ furm ]
/ fɜrm /

noun

a partnership or association for carrying on a business.
the name or title under which associated parties transact business: the firm of Smith & Jones.

Origin of firm

2
1565–75; < Spanish firma signature (hence, legal name of a partnership, etc.), noun derivative firmar to sign < Latin firmāre to strengthen, confirm, derivative of firmus firm1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to firm

tough, sturdy, solid, hard, unyielding, substantial, rigid, thick, stiff, tenacious, unshakable, steady, fast, tight, robust, strong, flat, unwavering, adamant, unflinching

Example sentences from the Web for firm

British Dictionary definitions for firm (1 of 2)

firm1
/ (fɜːm) /

adjective

adverb

in a secure, stable, or unyielding mannerhe stood firm over his obligation to pay

verb

(sometimes foll by up) to make or become firm
(intr) Australian horse racing (of a horse) to shorten in odds

Derived forms of firm

firmly, adverbfirmness, noun

Word Origin for firm

C14: from Latin firmus

British Dictionary definitions for firm (2 of 2)

firm2
/ (fɜːm) /

noun

a business partnership
any commercial enterprise
a team of doctors and their assistants
British slang
  1. a gang of criminals
  2. a gang of football hooligans

Word Origin for firm

C16 (in the sense: signature): from Spanish firma signature, title of a partnership or business concern, from firmar to sign, from Latin firmāre to confirm, from firmus firm
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