different between firmness vs puissance

English

Etymology

firm +? -ness

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f?mn?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??mn?s/
• Hyphenation: firm?ness

Noun

firmness (countable and uncountable, plural firmnesses)

1. The state of being firm
   1. security; steadfastness; good grip
   2. strictness; mental strength
      • France, for the first time since the death of Charlemagne, was governed by a prince of great firmness and ability.

   3. physical durability; rigidness (of material)

Translations

References

• firmness in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Alternative forms

• Puissance (show jumping)

Etymology

From Middle English puissaunce, from Anglo-Norman puissance, pusaunce, and other forms, from Old French puissant (“powerful”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?pju??.s(?)ns/, /?pw?-/
• Hyphenation: puis?sance

Noun

puissance (countable and uncountable, plural puissances)

1. Power, might or potency.
   • 2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho: Unreliable Memoirs. Vol. IV, London: Picador, ISBN 978-0-330-48128-1; republished London: Picador, 2007, ISBN 978-0-330-48127-4, page 66:

     Any impression of mental puissance might have been increased by the fact that I was usually to be seen working hard with notebook and biro, shaping up a new book review or a linking script […].

2. (equestrianism) Often Puissance: the high-jump component of the sport of show jumping.

Translations

French

Etymology

From Middle French puissance, derived from Old French puissant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?i.s??s/
• Rhymes: -??s

Noun

puissance f (plural puissances)

1. power (physical or figuratively)
2. dominion (state within the British Empire)

Derived terms

• en puissance
• puissance mondiale

Related terms

• pouvoir

Preposition

puissance

1. (mathematics) to the power of

   Deux puissance quatre égale seize.

Further reading

• “puissance” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French puissance.

Noun

puissance f (plural puissances)

1. power

Descendants

• French: puissance

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From puissant, pussant.

Noun

puissance f (oblique plural puissances, nominative singular puissance, nominative plural puissances)

1. power; ability; authority
2. might; strength

Descendants

• English: puissance (borrowed through Anglo-Norman)
• Middle French: puissance
  • French: puissance