Somewhat firm is a term that can be used to describe a variety of objects, from food to fabrics. In this case, the crossword solutions for the term are semisolid (9 letters) and al dente (7 letters). Semisolid refers to a state of matter that is between solid and liquid, while al dente is an Italian cooking term meaning 'to the tooth' and is used to describe pasta that is cooked until it is still slightly firm.