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rigor

rig·or [ ríggər ] (plural rig·ors)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. severity or harshness: unrelenting strictness or toughness in dealing with people or things and an unwillingness to make allowances

2. use of demanding standards: the application of precise and exacting standards in the doing of something

3. hardship: an experience of great hardship or difficulty ( usually used in the plural )
the rigors of life on the battlefront

4. severe weather: harshness of weather or climate

5. rigidity of body: stiffness and lack of response to stimuli in body organs or tissues

6. sudden feeling of chilliness: an abrupt attack of shivering and coldness, typically marking a rise in body temperature, e.g. at the onset of fever

7. botany inertia in plants: insensitivity of a plant arising from unfavorable conditions

8. medicine  ( informal )
Same as  rigor mortis


[14th century. Directly or via French< Latin, "stiffness" < rigere "be stiff"]
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