Stiffener vs Reinforce - What's the difference?
stiffener | reinforce |
Anything added to something in order to stiffen it, such as a support beam, or starch for a collar.
*1856: Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz: Illustrative of Every-day Life & Every-day People [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC02734176&id=SrTVMMbCz6cC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=stiffener&as_brr=1]
*:... he wears a wisp of black silk round his neck, without any stiffener, as an apology for a neckerchief...
*1901: James Nisbit Hazlehurst, Towers and Tanks for Water-works: The Theory and Practice of Their Design and Construction [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC03852204&id=YcmwlV8r9vsC&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=stiffener&as_brr=1]
*:...each of these stiffener'-columns must be designed to resist approximately 26 tons. Sometimes single angles are thus used as ' stiffeners ...
*1904: Edward L. Attwood, War-ships: A Text-book on the Construction, Protection, Stability, Turning, Etc., of War Vessels [http://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN05000778&id=DjcOQwPkxX0C&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=stiffener&as_brr=1]
*:The tee bar (b) is used as a stiffener to important bulkheads...
(senseid)To strengthen, especially by addition or augmentation.
To emphasize or review.
To encourage a behavior or idea through repeated stimulus.
As a noun stiffener
is anything added to something in order to stiffen it, such as a support beam, or starch for a collar.As a verb reinforce is
(senseid)to strengthen, especially by addition or augmentation.stiffener
English
Noun
(en noun)reinforce
English
Verb
(reinforc)- He reinforced the handle with a metal rod and a bit of tape.
- The right homework will reinforce and complement the lesson!
- ''Advertising for fast food can reinforce unhealthy dietary tendencies.
