Meaning

noun the muscle tone of healthy tissue

noun the trait of being resolute

noun the property of being unyielding to the touch

originEtymology tree English firm Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English firmness From firm + -ness.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0