hardiness

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The quality of being hardy.

   “Kale is known for its winter-hardiness.”

   “[…] with usefull and generous labours preserving the bodies health, and hardinesse; to render lightsome, cleare, and not lumpish obedience to the minde,”

   “But the Houynhnhnms train up their Youth to Strength, Speed, and Hardineſs, by exerciſing them in running Races up and down ſteep Hills, and over hard and ſtony Grounds […]”

   “Wild wheat is small and hard, quite capable of looking after itself, but its heads contain only a few small kernels. Cultivated wheat has lost its hardiness and its self-reliance, but its heads are filled with large kernels which feed the nation.”

2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)The quality of being hardy.

   “Plentie, and Peace breeds Cowards: Hardneſſe euer / Of Hardineſſe is Mother.”

   “[…] they who were not yet grown to the hardineſs of Avowing the contempt of the King […] would ſooner have been checked, and recovered their Loyalty and Obedience.”

   “[…] for every sorrow that his heart turned from, he lost a consolation; for every fear which he dared not confront, he lost a portion of his hardiness; the unsceptred sweep of the storm-clouds, the fair freedom of glancing shower and flickering sunbeam, sank into sweet rectitudes and decent formalisms;”

3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Hardship; fatigue.

   “Yet ſure they are very valiant, and hardy, for the moſt part great Indurers of Cold, Labour, Hunger, and all Hardineſs […]”