Hardening is the process by which something becomes harder or is made harder. Hardening may refer to: *

Hardening (metallurgy) Hardening is a metallurgical metalworking process used to increase the hardness of a metal. The hardness of a metal is directly proportional to the uniaxial yield stress at the location of the imposed strain. A harder metal will have a higher r ...

, a process used to increase the hardness of a metal *

Hardening (botany) Cold hardening is the physiological and biochemical process by which an organism prepares for cold weather. Plants Plants in Temperate climate, temperate and polar regions adapt to winter and sub zero temperatures by relocating nutrients from l ...

or cold hardening, a process in which a plant undergoes physiological changes to mitigate damage from cold temperatures *

Target hardening Target hardening, also referred to simply as hardening when made clear by the context, is a term used by police officers, those working in security, and the military referring to the strengthening of the security of a building or installation in o ...

, strengthening of the security of a building or installation to protect it from attack **

Hardening (computing) In computer security, hardening is usually the process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface, which is larger when a system performs more functions; in principle a single-function system is more secure than a multipurpose one. Reduc ...

, the process of securing a system against attack *

Sclerotization Sclerotization is a biochemical process that produces the rigid shell of sclerotin that comprises an insect's chitinous exoskeleton. It is prominent in the thicker, armored parts of insects and arachnid Arachnids are arthropods in the Class (b ...

, a biochemical process forming cuticle in arthropods

See also