hardpan: Meaning and Definition of
hard•pan
Pronunciation: (härd'pan"), [key]
— n.
- any layer of firm detrital matter, as of clay, underlying soft soil. Cf. caliche, duricrust.
- hard, unbroken ground.
- the fundamental or basic aspect of anything; solid foundation; underlying reality: the hardpan of mathematical theory.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.