firm
UK /fɜːm/ · US /fɜɹm/ noun, adjective, adverb, verb
Forms firms firmer firmest firming firmed
- noun (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
- noun (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
- noun (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.
- adjective Steadfast, secure, solid (in position) “It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.”
- adjective Fixed (in opinion). “a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent”
- adjective Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent. “He wanted to stay overnight, but I was firm with him and said he had to leave today.”
- adjective Durable, rigid (material state). “firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)”
- adjective Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
- adjective Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.
- adverb (now rare) firmly, steadily “stand firm”
- verb (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
- verb (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
- verb (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
- verb (intransitive) To improve after decline.
- verb (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
- verb (transitive, colloquial) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant. “I know you aren't feeling well, but just firm it.”
- verb (transitive, UK, slang) To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.
Synonyms
business company enterprise decided house business firm tauten steadfast steady stiff unbendable unfaltering unshakable unwavering solid strong unfluctuating fast immobile loyal truehearted firmly steadfastly unwaveringly
Etymology
From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmāre (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which. Doublet of dharma and dhamma. Other cognates include Russian держать (deržatʹ, “to hold”).
Inherited from Middle English ferme, borrowed from Old French ferme, from Medieval Latin ferma.
From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.
From Middle English fermen (“to make firm”), partly from (either through Old French fermer or directly) Latin firmō, from firmus (“firm”, adjective), and partly a new formation on the adjective.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; --applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood.
- adjective Not easily excited or disturbed; unchanging in purpose; fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not easily changed in feelings or will; strong; as, a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent.
- noun The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts business; a partnership of two or more persons; a commercial house; as, the firm of Hope & Co.
- verb To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish. [Obs.]
Etymology [OE. ferme, F. ferme, fr.L. firmus; cf. Skr. dharman support, law, order, dh to hold fast, carry. Cf. Farm, Throne.]
Etymology [It. firma the (firm, sure, or confirming) signature or subscription, or Pg. firma signature, firm, cf. Sp. firma signature; all fr. L. firmus, adj., firm. See Firm, a]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “firm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details