hard-boiled has definitions from the field of food
1
[ adjective ] tough and callous by virtue of experience

Related terms

tough

2
[ adjective ] tough and callous by virtue of experience

Used in print

(R. F. Shaw, "The `Private Eye`"...)

In the American `` hardboiled '' detective_story of the ' 20 s and ' 30 s , the spirit of the mad genius from Baker_Street lives on .

Surrounded by crime and violence everywhere , the `` hardboiled '' private_eye can retain his purity only through a life of self-imposed isolation .

Related terms

tough

3
[ adjective ] (used of eggs) cooked until the yolk is solid

Related terms

cooked

4
[ adjective ] used of persons; emotionally hardened

Examples

"faced a case-hardened judge"

Related terms

hard

5
[ adjective ] used of persons; emotionally hardened

Examples

"faced a case-hardened judge"

Related terms

hard

6
[ adjective ] (used of eggs) cooked until the yolk is solid

Related terms

cooked

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