harden off
Britishverb
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
Sow in pots in February or March, cover lightly with fine soil, plunge the pot in gentle heat, place a square of glass on the top, and gradually harden off.
From Gardening for the Million by Pink, Alfred
As soon as rooted, pot off singly, place in a close frame, and harden off by degrees.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
