caustic
caustic definition
caus·tic (kôs′tik)
adjective
- that can burn, eat away, or destroy tissue by chemical action; corrosive
- cutting or sarcastic in utterance; biting
- designating or of the curved radial surface, or a plane curve in this surface, formed by the reflection or refraction of rays from a curved solid surface
Etymology: ME caustik < L causticus < Gr kaustikos < kaustos, burning < kaiein, to burn
noun
- any caustic substance, esp. caustic soda
- a caustic surface or curve
Etymology: L causticum < the adj.
Related Forms:
- caustically caus′·ti·cally adverb
- causticity caus·tic′·ity (-tis′i tē) noun
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