tempering

(noun) hardening something by heat treatment. Synonyms: annealing.

(verb) bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling. Synonyms: anneal, temper, normalize. Example: "Temper glass."

(verb) harden by reheating and cooling in oil. Synonyms: temper, harden. Example: "Temper steel."

(verb) adjust the pitch (of pianos). Synonyms: temper.

(verb) make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate. Synonyms: temper, season, mollify. Example: "She tempered her criticism."

(verb) restrain. Synonyms: chasten, moderate, temper.

(adj) moderating by making more temperate.