firm
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Firm.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /fɜɹm/, [fɝm]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fɜːm/
Audio (General Australian): (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m
Etymology 1
From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmāre (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which. Doublet of dharma and dhamma. Other cognates include Russian держать (deržatʹ, “to hold”).
Noun
firm (plural firms)
- (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
- (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enterprise
- 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:
- Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. […] Banks and credit-card firms are kept out of the picture. Talk to enough people in the field and someone is bound to mention the “democratisation of finance”.
- (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.
Derived terms
Translations
business partnership
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business enterprise, however organized
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Etymology 2
From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.
Adjective
firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)
- Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)
- It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.
- Fixed (in opinion).
- a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent
- firm favourites
- 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph:
- With such constant off-field turmoil Hughton’s work has been remarkable and this may have been his last game in charge. West Bromwich Albion, searching for a replacement for Roy Hodgson, are firm admirers.
- Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.
- He wanted to stay overnight, but I was firm with him and said he had to leave today.
- Durable, rigid (material state).
- firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)
- Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
- 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XVIII, page 30:
- […] The life that almost dies in me:
That dies not, but endures with pain,
And slowly forms the firmer mind,
Treasuring the look it cannot find,
The words that are not heard again.
- Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.
- 1988 April 23, Elizabeth Pincus, “Moving To Meet The Needs Of Women In The Age Of AIDS”, in Gay Community News, page 7:
- Although facilitators of the workshop for lesbians and bisexual women attempted to address the concerns of lesbians, little firm information emerged.
- 1999, Lucinda Dirven, The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos:
- None of the Aramaic inscriptions from the Hellenistic and Roman period that are cited in support of this hypothesis that divine messengers are identified with their sender provide any firm proof to this respect.
Derived terms
Translations
steadfast, secure (position)
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fixed (in opinions)
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solid, rigid (material state)
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Adverb
firm (comparative more firm, superlative most firm)
Translations
firmly — see firmly
Etymology 3
From Middle English fermen (“to make firm”), partly from (either through Old French fermer or directly) Latin firmō, from firmus (“firm”, adjective), and partly a new formation on the adjective.[1]
Verb
firm (third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)
- (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
- (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
- (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
- (intransitive) To improve after decline.
- (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
- (transitive, colloquial) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant.
- I know you aren't feeling well, but just firm it.
- (transitive, UK, slang) To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.
Derived terms
Translations
to make firm or strong
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to fix securely
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to solidify
to become firm
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References
- James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Firm (fə̄ɹm), v.”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 248, column 3.
