caustic

The definition of caustic is a substance that burns or eats away by chemical reaction or a hurtful remark or relationship.

(adjective)

An example of caustic is the effect mustard gas has on the skin.
An example of caustic is a boyfriend who is emotionally abusive to his girlfriend.

See caustic in Webster's New World College Dictionary

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

Origin: ME caustik < L causticus < Gr kaustikos < kaustos, burning < kaiein, to burn

noun

Origin: L causticum < the adj.

Related Forms:

See caustic in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action.
Corrosive and bitingly trenchant; cutting. See Synonyms at sarcastic.
Causing a burning or stinging sensation, as from intense emotion: “Most of all, there is caustic shame for my own stupidity” (Scott Turow).

noun

A caustic material or substance.
A hydroxide of a light metal.
The enveloping surface formed by light rays reflecting or refracting from a curved surface, especially one with spherical aberration.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English caustik

Origin: , from Latin causticus

Origin: , from Greek kaustikos

Origin: , from kaustos

Origin: , from kaiein, kau-, to burn

Related Forms: