[f. as prec. + -NESS.] The quality of being tenacious; tenacity.

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  1.  = TENACITY 1.

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1658.  Rowland, Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 1069. Clammy stuffe that drawes like Bird-lime, which loseth not its tenaciousnesse by drinesse nor by moysture.

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1794.  Sullivan, View Nat., II. 44. The tenaciousness of their cohesion … seem[s] to prove them to consist of viscous parts.

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  2.  = TENACITY 2.

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1642.  Rogers, Naaman, 128. Fourthly and lastly, the Tenaciousnesse of selfe: I meane when she is put hard to it.

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1669.  W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 122. Solidity of judgement, and tenaciousness of memory.

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1786.  T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 78. What I learn of the temper of my countrymen and their tenaciousness of money.

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1860.  All Year Round, No. 43. 389. Extraordinary examples of tenaciousness of life.

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