rigor
UK: ˈrɪɡə | US: ˈrɪɡər
n. strictness, severity, or harshness (e.g., "the rigor of academic standards")
n. a condition of hardship or difficulty (e.g., "the rigors of winter")
n. (medical) a sudden feeling of cold with shivering, often preceding fever
rigor = rig<stiff, harsh> + or<noun suffix>
- rig (from Latin rigēre, meaning "to be stiff or harsh")
- or (Latin-derived noun suffix indicating a state or condition)
Etymology Origin:
The word rigor traces back to Latin rigor (stiffness, hardness), derived from rigēre (to be stiff). It originally described physical stiffness (e.g., rigor mortis) and later expanded metaphorically to denote strictness or severity in rules, conditions, or environments. The medical sense (shivering) reflects the body's "stiff" reaction to fever.
The professor graded with such rigor that few students earned top marks.
Surviving in the Arctic requires enduring the rigors of extreme cold.
She felt a sudden rigor and knew a fever was coming.
Legal rigor ensures fairness in the judicial system.
The training program was designed to test the recruits' endurance under rigor.