mordant

Meaning

Adj

1. Having or showing a sharp or critical quality
2. Serving to fix a dye to a fibre.

Noun

1. Any substance used to facilitate the fixing of a dye to a fibre; usually a metallic compound which reacts with the dye using chelation.
2. Any corrosive substance used in etching.
3. A glutinous size used as a ground for gilding, to make the gold leaf adhere.

Verb

To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant.

Synonyms

biting

caustic

sarcastic

corrosive

vitriolic

acrimonious

pointed

cutting

trenchant

strident

tart

pungent

keen

mordacious

shrill

acerb

black

sharp

erosive

acerbic

grim

peaked

peaky

perceptive

perspicacious

pickle

piercing

poignant

quick-witted

ready

salty

scathing

slick

smart

snappish

spiky

splenetic

stiff

stinging

taunting

acuate

fulgurating

coloring agent

mordant in dyeing

dye mordant

acid

acrid

acute

barbed

beaked

bitter

blistering

bold

bright

bristly

clear

crisp

dip

discriminative

edged

fly

✈️

incisive

ingenious

nipping

nippy

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɔː(ɹ)dənt/

Etymology

From French mordant, from Latin mordeō. Doublet of mordent.