hardpan

noun

hard·​pan ˈhärd-ˌpan 

1

: a cemented or compacted and often clayey layer in soil that is impenetrable by roots

2

: a fundamental part : bedrock

Examples of hardpan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The trailer park’s main drag was paved, but at the stake fence that marked its end, the asphalt turned to hardpan dirt. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

This hardpan is called caleche, and is equivalent to a 2-inch thick layer of concrete. — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 31 Jan. 2018

But the wind was gusting to 30 mph, and the sun baked out greens that became like Texas hardpan. — Doug Ferguson, Orange County Register, 23 Mar. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hardpan

• afghan
• bedpan
• began
• caveman
• chapin
• cyan
• deadpan
• dextran
• divan
• doorman
• fishman
• flagman