Poolkõva

Poolkõva is an Estonian adjective meaning semi-hard, used to describe a state that is between soft and hard. The word is formed from pool ('half', 'semi') and kõva ('hard'). It is primarily a descriptive, informal term rather than a formal technical category, and its exact meaning depends on the context and the speaker.

In everyday Estonian, poolkõva can describe textures, materials, or conditions that are not fully soft or fully hard. Because it lacks a universal threshold, it is common in discussions of water hardness, soil texture, or the rigidity of materials, where readers or listeners rely on surrounding information to interpret what 'semi-hard' implies in that case. In practice, technical communication generally substitutes specific numeric scales or standardized terms when precision is required.

Because poolkõva is not a fixed standard, its use varies by field and region. When precision is important, consult the relevant standard or provide a numeric description (for example, degrees of hardness, Shore hardness, or other material specifications) to accompany the term.