noun / verb
temper
Controlled heating and cooling of metal or glass to achieve desired properties, or the resulting condition.
The blacksmith tempers the steel to make it less brittle.
Etymology
The source concerns bringing something to a proper condition. Metalworking and glassmaking specialize it to controlled thermal treatment that adjusts material properties.
More examples
- The factory uses tempered glass for its shower doors.
- Excessive heat can ruin the temper of a steel blade.
- Each spring needs the right temper to withstand repeated bending.
Forms
temper · tempers · tempered · tempering
Similar words
- anneal
- Annealing usually softens metal rather than balancing hardness and toughness.
- quench
- Quenching cools heated material rapidly, often as one treatment step.