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 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
Take up to the light any time after first of March in the spring, but be careful to harden off before setting outside.
From Gardening Indoors and Under Glass A Practical Guide to the Planting, Care and Propagation of House Plants, and to the Construction and Management of Hotbed, Coldframe and Small Greenhouse by Rockwell, F. F. (Frederick Frye)
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.
