different between sturdy vs constant

English

Etymology

From Middle English sturdy, stourdy, stordy (“bold, valiant, strong, stern, fierce, rebellious”) (perhaps influenced by Middle English sture, stoure, stor (“strong, robust, harsh, stern, violent, fierce, sturdy”); see English stour), from Old French estourdi (“dazed”), form of estourdir, originally “to daze, to make tipsy (almost drunk)” (Modern French étourdir (“to daze, to make tipsy”)), from Vulgar Latin *exturdire. Latin etymology is unclear – presumably it is ex- + turdus (“thrush (bird)”), but how this should mean “daze” is unclear. A speculative theory is that thrushes eat leftover winery grapes and thus became drunk, but this meets with objections.

Disease in cows and sheep is by extension of sense of “daze”, while sense of “strongly built” is of late 14th century, and relationship to earlier sense is less clear, perhaps from sense of a firm strike (causing a daze) or a strong, violent person.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?st??di/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?st?rdi/
• Rhymes: -??(r)di

Adjective

sturdy (comparative sturdier, superlative sturdiest)

1. Of firm build; stiff; stout; strong.
   • 1657, Henry Wotton, Characters of some Kings of England

     He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy then dainty.

2. Solid in structure or person.

3. (obsolete) Foolishly obstinate or resolute; stubborn.

   • This must be done, and I would fain see / Mortal so sturdy as to gainsay.

   • October 28, 1705, Francis Atterbury, a sermon

     A sturdy, hardened sinner shall advance to the utmost pitch of impiety with less reluctance than he took the first steps.

4. Resolute, in a good sense; or firm, unyielding quality.

Synonyms

• hardy

Translations

Noun

sturdy (uncountable)

1. A disease in sheep and cattle, caused by a tapeworm and marked by great nervousness or by dullness and stupor.

Synonyms

• gid

Derived terms

• sturdied

Translations

References

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

English

Etymology

From Middle English constant, from Old French constant, from Latin constantem, accusative of constans, from constare (“to stand firm”). Displaced native Old English singal.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?nst?nt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?nst?nt/

Adjective

constant (comparative more constant, superlative most constant)

1. Unchanged through time or space; permanent.
2. Consistently recurring over time; persistent.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:continuous
3. Steady in purpose, action, feeling, etc.

   • Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant friends.

   • His gifts, his constant courtship, nothing gained.

4. Firm; solid; not fluid.
   • 1660, Robert Boyle, New Experiments Physico-Mechanical: Touching the Spring of the Air and their Effects

     If […] you mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body.

5. (obsolete) Consistent; logical.
6. (computing, complexity theory) Bounded above by a constant.

Synonyms

• (unchanged through time or space): nonchanging, unaltering, unvarying; see also Thesaurus:changeless

Translations

Noun

constant (plural constants)

1. That which is permanent or invariable.
2. (algebra) A quantity that remains at a fixed value throughout a given discussion.
3. (sciences) Any property of an experiment, determined numerically, that does not change under given circumstances.
4. (computing) An identifier that is bound to an invariant value; a fixed value given a name to aid in readability of source code.

Translations

Related terms

• constantly (adv)
• constancy (n)

See also

• (computing) literal

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin c?nst?ns.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /kons?tant/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /kuns?tan/
• Rhymes: -ant

Adjective

constant (masculine and feminine plural constants)

1. constant

   Antonym: inconstant

Derived terms

• constantment
• inconstant

Related terms

• constància

Noun

constant f (plural constants)

1. constant

Further reading

• “constant” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “constant” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “constant” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “constant” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French constant, from Latin c?nst?ns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?n?st?nt/, /?k?n.st?nt/
• Hyphenation: con?stant
• Rhymes: -?nt

Adjective

constant (comparative constanter, superlative constantst)

1. constant, invariable
2. constant, continuous, unceasing

Inflection

Derived terms

• constante
• constantheid

French

Etymology

From Latin constans.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??s.t??/
• Homophone: constants

Adjective

constant (feminine singular constante, masculine plural constants, feminine plural constantes)

1. constant

Derived terms

• constamment

Related terms

• constance

Further reading

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

Latin

Verb

c?nstant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of c?nst?

Romanian

Etymology

From French constant, from Latin constans.

Adjective

constant m or n (feminine singular constant?, masculine plural constan?i, feminine and neuter plural constante)

1. constant

Declension