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caustic

adj
/ˈkɔːstɪk/

Etymology

From the Latin causticus (“burning”), from Ancient Greek καυστικός (kaustikós, “burning”), from καυστός (kaustós, “burnt”) + -ικός (-ikós).

  1. derived from καυστικός
  2. borrowed from causticus

Definitions

  1. Capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue.

  2. Sharp, bitter, cutting, biting, and sarcastic in a scathing way.

    • "How now!" said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever.
    • The bargain was not concluded as easily as might have been expected though, for Scadder was caustic and ill-humoured, and cast much unnecessary opposition in the way
    • Madame Beck esteemed me learned and blue; Miss Fanshawe, caustic, ironic, and cynical

  3. Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes,…

    Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.

  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. The envelope of reflected or refracted rays of light for a given surface or object.

    2. The envelope of reflected or refracted rays for a given curve.

    3. Caustic soda.

The neighborhood

Derived

catacaustic, caustic alkali, caustically, caustic ammonia, caustic barley, caustic curve, causticise, causticism, causticity, causticize, caustic lime, causticness, caustic pencil, caustic potash, caustic soda, caustic sulphite caramel, caustic surface, caustic volatile alkali, caustification, diacaustic, galvanocaustic, Indian caustic barley, noncaustic, postcaustic, common caustic, lunar caustic

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at caustic. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01caustic02scathing03vitriolic04vitriol05bitterly06bitter07acrid

A definitional loop anchored at caustic. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at caustic

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA