English

Noun

1. Anything added to something in order to stiffen it, such as a support beam, or starch for a collar.
   • 1856: Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz: Illustrative of Every-day Life & Every-day People http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC02734176&id=SrTVMMbCz6cC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=stiffener&as_brr=1

     ... he wears a wisp of black silk round his neck, without any stiffener, as an apology for a neckerchief...

   • 1901: James Nisbit Hazlehurst, Towers and Tanks for Water-works: The Theory and Practice of Their Design and Construction http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC03852204&id=YcmwlV8r9vsC&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=stiffener&as_brr=1

     ...each of these stiffener-columns must be designed to resist approximately 26 tons. Sometimes single angles are thus used as stiffeners...

   • 1904: Edward L. Attwood, War-ships: A Text-book on the Construction, Protection, Stability, Turning, Etc., of War Vessels http://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN05000778&id=DjcOQwPkxX0C&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=stiffener&as_brr=1

     The tee bar (b) is used as a stiffener to important bulkheads...