irritant Definition
ir·ri·tant (ir′i tənt)
adjective
causing irritation or inflammation
Etymology: L irritans, prp. of irritare
noun
something that causes irritation
irritant Related Forms
ir′·ri·tancy noun
irritant Synonyms
irritant Usage Examples
Converse of object
- avoid: This condition can be prevented through avoiding the irritant.
- contain: Beware of plants which have leaves / sap that contain strong irritants.
Adjective modifier
- respiratory: May act as a skin, eye or respiratory irritant.
- minor: Margaret Thatcher was still a minor irritant whose influence was limited to stealing milk from school children.
- mild: What is classed as a severe eye irritant by one observer may be dismissed as a mild irritant by another.
- constant: Then he admitted the failure to translate promising field positions into points was a constant irritant to his team.
- counter: The dried bark from this species has been applied as a counter irritant ( Morton 1977 ).
- severe: What is classed as a severe eye irritant by one observer may be dismissed as a mild irritant by another.
Modifies a noun
- dermatitis: An irritant dermatitis is most likely to occur on the hands.
- eczema: Irritant contact eczema ( or dermatitis ) is far more common than allergic contact eczema.
- poison: Virus such as distemper or parvo, irritant poisons, food poisoning or dietary allergies are the most common causes of diarrhea.
- substance: Some irritant substances increase the risk of lung cancer.
- reaction: The first is an irritant reaction affecting bulb handlers.
- chemical: They devised the idea of placing an irritant chemical among the metal balls in a shrapnel shell.
Modifying Another Word
highly: Lung toxins Some of the toxins present in smoke are highly irritant or directly toxic to the bronchial mucosa causing airway inflammation.
Noun used with modifier
- skin: The oil from the bark smells like the spice and is a very strong skin irritant and should never be used on the skin.
- lung: Ozone is a lung irritant emitted from many air cleaners in the market that can trigger allergy reactions, even in small amounts.
- chemical: Chemical irritants in bath water or in underclothes should be avoided.
- eye: Warfarin is not known to be an eye irritant.
Preposition: by
test: The juice of the fruit is generally not irritant by patch test.
Browse dictionary entries near irritant
- ‹ irritable bowel syndrome
- ‹ irritable
- ‹ irritability
- ‹ irriguous
- ‹ irrigation
- ‹ irrigate
- ‹ irrigable
- ‹ irrevocable life insurance trust
- ‹ irrevocable
- ‹ irreversible
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- irritated ›
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