firm

English Online Dictionary. What means firm‎? What does firm mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɜɹm/, [fɝm]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɜːm/
• 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)

1. (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enterprise
3. (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.

Adjective

firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)

1. Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)

2. Fixed (in opinion).

   a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent

   firm favourites
3. Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.

4. Durable, rigid (material state).

   firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)

5. Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
6. Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

firm (comparative more firm, superlative most firm)

1. (now rare) firmly, steadily

Translations

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.

Verb

firm (third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)

1. (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
2. (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
3. (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
4. (intransitive) To improve after decline.
5. (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
6. (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

• firming agent

Translations

References

Further reading

• Firm in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• FRIM, fMRI, fmri, frim

Chinese

Etymology 1

From English firm.

Pronunciation

Adjective

firm (Hong Kong Cantonese)

1. (of muscles) firm; strong; solid

   • 她說：「而家33C，size OK，但想再firm啲，不過亞洲女性唔可以好似鬼妹咁大，最緊要襯身形。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     她说：「而家33C，size OK，但想再firm啲，不过亚洲女性唔可以好似鬼妹咁大，最紧要衬身形。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     taa¹ syut³: “ji⁴ gaa¹ 33C, size OK, daan⁶ soeng² zoi³ foem¹ di¹, bat¹ gwo³ aa³ zau¹ neoi⁵ sing³ m⁴ ho² ji⁵ hou² ci⁵ gwai² mui^6-1 gam³ daai⁶, zeoi³ gan² jiu³ can³ san¹ jing⁴. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 問到何以仍未修身，她表示：「我的三圍沒有變，但身形firm咗少少，體重無變唔緊要，最重要觀感OK。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     问到何以仍未修身，她表示：「我的三围没有变，但身形firm咗少少，体重无变唔紧要，最重要观感OK。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     man⁶ dou³ ho⁴ ji⁵ jing⁴ mei⁶ sau¹ san¹, taa¹ biu² si⁶: “ngo⁵ dik¹ saam¹ wai⁴ mut⁶ jau⁵ bin³, daan⁶ san¹ jing⁴ foem¹ zo² siu² siu², tai² cung⁵ mou⁵ bin³ m⁴ gan² jiu³, zeoi³ zung⁶ jiu³ gun¹ gam² ou¹ kei¹. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. firm; insistent
3. (neologism) awesome; fantastic; amazing; terrific

   • 你想要最firm最warm嘅hall life？咁就要嚟民殷堂呢個大家庭喇！ [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     你想要最firm最warm嘅hall life？咁就要嚟民殷堂呢个大家庭喇！ [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     nei⁵ soeng² jiu³ zeoi³ foem¹ zeoi³ wom¹ ge³ ho¹ life? gam² zau⁶ jiu³ lai⁴ man⁴ jan¹ tong⁴ ni¹ go³ daai⁶ gaa¹ ting⁴ laa³! [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (neologism, of relationship between friends) close; intimate

   • 接納應該是接受和鼓勵與自身不一樣的特質，而不是要求人人成為倒模般的、「夠firm夠chur」的大學生。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     接纳应该是接受和鼓励与自身不一样的特质，而不是要求人人成为倒模般的、「够firm够chur」的大学生。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     zip³ naap⁶ jing¹ goi¹ si⁶ zip³ sau⁶ wo⁴ gu² lai⁶ jyu⁵ zi⁶ san¹ bat¹ jat¹ joeng⁶ dik¹ dak⁶ zat¹, ji⁴ bat¹ si⁶ jiu¹ kau⁴ jan⁴ jan⁴ sing⁴ wai⁴ dou² mou^4-2 bun¹ dik¹, “gau³ foem¹ gau³ coe²” dik¹ daai⁶ hok⁶ saang¹. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

Noun

firm

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) firm; business (Classifier: 間／间 c)

Etymology 2

Clipping of English confirm.

Pronunciation

Verb

firm

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to confirm; to finalize

   • 她接著道：「也有的，他們需要時間process，但我們那邊的細節常常都未firm，我明白他們的難處，但這也是沒有辦法的事。」 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     她接著道：「也有的，他们需要时间process，但我们那边的细节常常都未firm，我明白他们的难处，但这也是没有办法的事。」 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     taa¹ zip³ zoek⁶ dou⁶: “jaa⁵ jau⁵ dik¹, taa¹ mun⁴ seoi¹ jiu³ si⁴ gaan³ process, daan⁶ ngo⁵ mun⁴ naa⁵ bin¹ dik¹ sai³ zit³ soeng⁴ soeng⁴ dou¹ mei⁶ foem¹, ngo⁵ ming⁴ baak⁶ taa¹ mun⁴ dik¹ naan⁴ cyu³, daan⁶ ze² jaa⁵ si⁶ mut⁶ jau⁵ baan⁶ faat³ dik¹ si⁶.” [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 我就同佢哋講咗您係佢哋直屬上司，菲密時都簽咗紙Firm咗㗎喇！ [Cantonese, trad.]
     我就同佢哋讲咗您系佢哋直属上司，菲密时都签咗纸Firm咗㗎喇！ [Cantonese, simp.]

     ngo⁵ zau⁶ tung⁴ keoi⁵ dei⁶ gong² zo² nei⁵ hai⁶ keoi⁵ dei⁶ zik⁶ suk⁶ soeng⁶ si¹, fei¹ mat⁶ si⁴ dou¹ cim¹ zo² zi² foem¹ zo² gaa³ laa³! [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Adjective

firm

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) sure; certain

Derived terms

References

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin firmus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɪʁm/

Adjective

firm (strong nominative masculine singular firmer, comparative firmer, superlative am firmsten)

1. (somewhat dated) experienced, well versed

   Synonyms: erfahren, bewandert

Declension

Related terms

• firmen

Further reading

• “firm” in Duden online
• “firm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /firm/
• Rhymes: -irm
• Syllabification: firm

Noun

firm f

1. genitive plural of firma

Zoogocho Zapotec

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish firma.

Noun

firm

1. signature

Derived terms

• chgoꞌo firm
• choꞌo firm

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish firme.

Adjective

firm

1. firm, fixed

References

• Long C., Rebecca, Cruz M., Sofronio (2000) Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)‎^[9] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 220