mordant

mor·dant

 (môr′dnt)

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 mordēre; see mer- in Indo-European roots.]

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mor′dan·cy n.

mor′dant·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mordant

(ˈmɔːdənt)

adj

1. sarcastic or caustic

2. having the properties of a mordant

3. pungent

n

4. (Dyeing) a substance used before the application of a dye, possessing the ability to fix colours in textiles, leather, etc. See also lake²¹

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

vb

(Dyeing) (tr) to treat (a fabric, yarn, etc) with a mordant

[C15: from Old French: biting, from mordre to bite, from Latin mordēre]

ˈmordancy n

ˈmordantly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mor•dant

(ˈmɔr dnt)
adj.

1. sharply caustic or sarcastic; biting; cutting: mordant wit.

2. burning; corrosive.

3. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing.

n.

4. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter.

5. an acid or other corrosive substance used in etching.

v.t.

6. to impregnate or treat with a mordant.

[1425–75; late Middle English < Middle French, present participle of mordre to bite « Latin mordēre; see -ant]

mor′dan•cy, n.

mor′dant•ly, adv.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

mordant

Past participle: mordanted
Gerund: mordanting

Imperative

mordant

mordant

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

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"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

mordant

adjective

So sharp as to cause mental pain:

acerbic, acid, acidic, acrid, astringent, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordacious, pungent, scathing, sharp, slashing, stinging, trenchant, truculent, vitriolic.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

beißendBeize

mordiente

julmapisteliäspuretinpureva

mordacemordente

매염매염제신랄한

mordant

[ˈmɔːdənt] ADJ → mordaz

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mordant

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

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

mordant

adj → beißend, ätzend

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

mordant

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

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995