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hard water

American  

noun

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


hard water Cultural  
  1. Water in which dissolved minerals make it difficult to produce a lather with soap.


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

Example Sentences

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Other plastics, including ones promoted as highly recyclable, such as clear polyethylene bottles, which hold some medications, or hard water bottles, are being recycled at just 16%.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026

Yet stalagmites offer new insights into climate fluctuations because the German researchers could examine the isotopic composition of oxygen in a southern German stalagmite that had been formed from hard water.

From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2024

If you recall your high school chemistry class, you know that white vinegar is a weak form of acid and that hard water deposits are alkaline.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2022

But not everyone uses them, and they don’t address the impact of hard water on your home and appliances.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 23, 2022

Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall toward the earth’s center.

From "1984" by George Orwell

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