Superrigidity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An extreme degree of stiffness or inflexibility, far beyond what is ordinary or useful in a structure, system, or attitude
2. The state of being overly rigid, so unbending that it resists any bending, adjustment, or change in form or outlook
3. A condition of exceptional stiffness that leaves something unable to flex, adapt, or respond to pressure or altered circumstances

Etymology: "Superrigidity" is a plain compound: the prefix "super-", meaning beyond or above, joined to "rigidity", the state of being stiff or unbending. The prefix comes from Latin "super", "above" or "over", and it has been used in English to build words meaning more of a quality than usual, as in "superhuman" or "supersonic". "Rigidity" traces back through Old French to the Latin "rigidus", "stiff", from "rigere", "to be stiff". Put together, the word simply means a degree of rigidity beyond the ordinary.