mordant

mor·dant  (môrdnt)

adj.

1.

a. Bitingly sarcastic: mordant satire.

b. Incisive and trenchant: an inquisitor's mordant questioning.

2. Bitingly painful.

3. Serving to fix colors in dyeing.

n.

1. A reagent, such as tannic acid, that fixes dyes to cells, tissues, or textiles or other materials.

2. A corrosive substance, such as an acid, used in etching.

tr.v. mor·dant·ed, mor·dant·ing, mor·dants

To treat with a mordant.

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[French, from Old French, present participle of mordre, to bite, from Vulgar Latin *mordere, from Latin mordre; see mer- in Indo-European roots.]

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mordan·cy n.

mordant·ly adv.

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mordant [ˈmɔːd^ənt]

adj

1. sarcastic or caustic

2. having the properties of a mordant

3. pungent

n

1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Dyeing) a substance used before the application of a dye, possessing the ability to fix colours in textiles, leather, etc. See also lake² [1]

2. (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) an acid or other corrosive fluid used to etch lines on a printing plate

vb

(Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Dyeing) (tr) to treat (a fabric, yarn, etc.) with a mordant

[from Old French: biting, from mordre to bite, from Latin mordēre]

mordancy  n

mordantly  adv

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	mordant - a substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process chrome alum - a violet-colored salt used in hide tanning and as a mordant in dyeing antimony potassium tartrate, tartar emetic - a poisonous colorless salt used as a mordant and in medicine coloring material, colour, colouring material, color - any material used for its color; "she used a different color for the trim" sodium bichromate, sodium dichromate - a red-orange salt used as a mordant
Adj.	1.	mordant - harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit" grim, black sarcastic - expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
	2.	mordant - of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action corrosive, erosive, vitriolic, caustic destructive - causing destruction or much damage; "a policy that is destructive to the economy"; "destructive criticism"

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mordant

adjective sarcastic, cutting, biting, edged, sharp, acid, harsh, stinging, scathing, acrimonious, pungent, incisive, caustic, venomous, astringent, vitriolic, acerbic, trenchant, waspish, mordacious He describes the situation with mordant wit.

Translations

mordant [ˈmɔːdənt] ADJ → mordaz

mordant [ˈmɔː^rd^ənt] adj (= caustic) → mordant(e)

mordant

adj → beißend, ätzend

mordant [ˈmɔːdənt] adj (frm) (wit, humour) → mordace