adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈhɑːdˌkʌvə/
Canada, General-American:/ˈhɑɹdˌkʌvɚ/
Texas:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˈhɐːdˌkɐvə/
CMU ARPABET:HH AA1 R D K AH2 V ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having a rigid binding.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A book with a rigid binding, often of cardboard or leather.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
having a hard back or cover
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
hardback books
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hardbacked, hardback, hardbound
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a book with cardboard or cloth or leather covers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hardback
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: book, volume
History
Etymology
From hard + cover.
Across languages
Translations
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
с твърди корици
(s tvǎrdi korici)
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Bulgarian:
с дебели корици
(s debeli korici)
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Chinese Mandarin:
精裝 /精装
(jīngzhuāng)
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Chinese Mandarin:
硬皮
(yìngpí)
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Esperanto:
rigidkovrila
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Finnish:
kovakantinen
— of a book: having a rigid binding
French:
relié
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Galician:
de pasta dura
— of a book: having a rigid binding
German:
gebunden
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Greek:
σκληρόδετος
(skliródetos)
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Hungarian:
kemény kötésű/fedelű/táblás
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Romanian:
cartonat
— of a book: having a rigid binding
Afrikaans:
hardeband
— a book with a rigid binding
Bulgarian:
книга с твърди корици
(kniga s tvǎrdi korici)
— a book with a rigid binding
Bulgarian:
книга с дебели корици
(kniga s debeli korici)
— a book with a rigid binding
French:
livre relié
— a book with a rigid binding
Galician:
pasta dura
— a book with a rigid binding
German:
gebundenes Buch
— a book with a rigid binding
German:
gebundene Ausgabe
— a book with a rigid binding
Greek:
σκληρόδετο βιβλίο
(skliródeto vivlío)
— a book with a rigid binding
Hungarian:
kemény kötésű/fedelű/táblás könyv
— a book with a rigid binding
Italian:
copertina rigida
— a book with a rigid binding
Italian:
libro con copertina rigida
— a book with a rigid binding
Portuguese:
capa dura
— a book with a rigid binding
Scottish Gaelic:
còmhdach cruaidh
— a book with a rigid binding