▪ I. ˈhardhead1, hard-head
1. a. A hard-headed person; one not easily moved; one dull of intellect.
| 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 63 Some men counte them nygardis and hardheedis that wyll haue a rekenynge of exspensis. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 36 A flintie fellowe and a hard head. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 22 Hard-head and Block-head, terms of reproach with us. 1848 Durivage Stray Subj. 110 (Farmer) Most of the passengers had disappeared for the night, and only a knot of hard-heads were left upon deck. 1967 P. Jones Fifth Defector xiii. 190 I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut and let the hardheads handle it at embassy level. |
b. A person not easily affected by alcohol.
| 1860 E. Cowell Diary 19 Mar. (1934) 41 Mr. Van Orden a very pleasant, but, to Sam, very dangerous companion being a great drinker, and one of the ‘Hard Heads’ whom drink does not seem to hurt. |
† 2. A contest of butting with the head. Also hard-heads. Obs.
| 1681 Dryden Spanish Friar v. ii. I have been at hard-head with your butting citizens. 1687 ― Hind & P. ii. 443 Both play at hard-head till they break their brains. 1831 Scott Jrnl. 16 Oct., He has been at hard-heads with the rogues, and come off with advantage. |
3. The name of several fishes: a. The sea scorpion or father-lasher, Cottus scorpius. b. The grey gurnard, Trigla gurnardus. c. The menhaden (New England).
| 1803 Sibbald Hist. Fife & Kinross 128 (Jam.) Scorpius major nostras; our fishers call it Hardhead. 1810 Neill List of Fishes 14 (Jam.) Trigla Gurnardus. Crooner or Crointer. It is known by a variety of other names, as Captain Hardhead [etc.]. 1837 Hawthorne Twice-told T. (1851) II. vi. 91 The very air was fishy, being perfumed with dead sculpins, hardheads, and dogfish. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Hard-head..on our coasts the father-lasher or sea-scorpion, Cottus scorpius. |
4. The Californian grey whale, Rhachianectes glaucus: so called from its habit of butting boats.
| 1860 Merc. Marine Mag. VII. 213 They have a variety of names among whalemen, as ‘Hard-head’, ‘Devil-fish’. |
5. The ruddy duck, Erismatura rubida, more fully called hard-headed dipper (Atlantic Coast, U.S.) (Cent. Dict.)
6. The plant Knapweed. Also hard-heads.
| 1794 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxvi. 401 Common or Black Knap-weed..which the country people in some places call Hard-heads. 1828 Craven Dial., Hard-heads, Knapweed. 1861 Miss Pratt Flower. Pl. III. 250 Hard-head. |
7. A variety of sponge.
| 1883 Fisheries Exhib. Catal. (ed. 4) 160 The principal varieties..are known as sheep-wool, white reef, abaco velvet, dark reef, boat, hardhead, grass, yellow and glove. |
8. A residual alloy of tin, iron, and arsenic, produced in the refining of tin.
| 1881 in Raymond Mining Gloss. |
▪ II. ˈhardhead2 Obs. exc. Hist.
Also hardit.
[? A corruption of F. hardit, hardi (in Cotgr. ardit, ardy) hardy; said to be from hardi, surname of Philip III of France, under whom the coin was first issued.]
A Scottish copper coin of Mary and James VI, of the value of about three halfpence English money. App. the same as the lion.
| 1563 in Pitcairn Crim. Trials Scotl. I. 440 Convict of contirfeeting of the prenting irnes..of ane Lyone callit þe Hardheid. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 365 (MS. G) Daylie thair was suche numbers of Lions (alias called Hard-heids) prented, that the basenes thairof maid all thingis exceiding dear. 1644 D. Hume Hist. Douglas 334 (Jam.) A certain brasse or copper coyne (called Hardheads). 1893 Antiquary Mar. 105 Coins found in St. Queran's well 1869..James VI hardheads or bodles. |