Caustic - Definitions from Dictionary.com

8 results for: Caustic

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

caus·tic

Audio Help [kaw-stik] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.

2.	severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.

–noun

3.	a caustic substance.

Optics.

a.	caustic curve.

b.	caustic surface.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L causticus < Gk kaustikós burning, caustic, equiv. to kaust(ós) burnt (v. adj. of kaíein to burn) + -ikos -ic

]

—Related forms

caus·ti·cal·ly, caus·tic·ly, adverb

caus·tic·i·ty

Audio Help [kaw-stis-i-tee] Pronunciation Key, caus·tic·ness, noun

—Synonyms 2. biting, mordant, bitter, scathing, acid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Caustic

To learn more about Caustic visit Britannica.com

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

caus·tic Audio Help (kô'stĭk) Pronunciation Key
adj.

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).

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.

[Middle English caustik, from Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos, from kaiein, kau-, to burn.]

caus'ti·cal·ly adv., caus·tic'i·ty (kô-stĭs'ĭ-tē) n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
caustic

1555, from O.Fr. caustique, from L. causticus, from Gk. kaustikos "capable of burning," from kaustos "combustible," from kaiein, the Gk. word for "to burn" in all periods, of uncertain origin with no known cognates outside Gk. Figurative sense of "sarcastic" is attested from 1771.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

caustic
adjective
1.	harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique"
2.	of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
noun
1.	any chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
caustic1 [ˈkoːstik] adjective

burning by chemical action
Example: caustic soda

Arabic:	حارِقٌ، لاسِعٌ
Chinese (Simplified):	腐蚀性的
Chinese (Traditional):	腐蝕性的
Czech:	žíravý
Danish:	ætsende; tærende
Dutch:	caustisch
Estonian:	söövitav
Finnish:	syövyttävä, emäksinen
French:	caustique
German:	kaustisch
Greek:	καυστικός
Hungarian:	maró
Icelandic:	ætiefni
Indonesian:	kustik
Italian:	caustico

Japanese:	腐食性の
Korean:	부식성의, 가성의
Latvian:	kodīgs
Lithuanian:	kaustinis
Norwegian:	etsende, kaustisk
Polish:	kaustyczny
Portuguese (Brazil):	cáustico
Portuguese (Portugal):	cáustico
Romanian:	caustic
Russian:	каустический
Slovak:	žieravý, leptavý
Slovenian:	jedek
Spanish:	cáustico
Swedish:	brännande, frätande, kaustik
Turkish:	yakıcı, kostik

caustic2 [ˈkoːstik] adjective

(of remarks) bitter or sarcastic
Example: caustic comments

Arabic:	لاذِعٌ، جارِحٌ، ساخِرٌ
Chinese (Simplified):	刻薄的
Chinese (Traditional):	刻薄的
Czech:	jízlivý, sarkastický
Danish:	ætsende; bidende; sarkastisk
Dutch:	bijtend
Estonian:	salvav
Finnish:	pureva
French:	mordant
German:	beißend
Greek:	δηκτικός, σαρκαστικός
Hungarian:	csípős
Icelandic:	stingandi, meinyrtur
Indonesian:	tajam
Italian:	caustico

Japanese:	しんらつな
Korean:	신랄한
Latvian:	dzēlīgs; ass
Lithuanian:	kandus
Norwegian:	bitende, sarkastisk
Polish:	cierpki
Portuguese (Brazil):	cáustico
Portuguese (Portugal):	mordaz
Romanian:	muşcător, sarcastic
Russian:	едкий
Slovak:	sarkastický, uštipačný
Slovenian:	sarkastičen
Spanish:	cáustico, mordaz
Swedish:	skarp, bitande, sarkastisk
Turkish:	acı ve dokunaklı

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Caustic

Calm\ (k[aum]m), n. [OE. calme, F. calme, fr. It. or Sp. calma (cf. Pg. calma heat), prob. fr. LL. cauma heat, fr. Gr. kay^ma burning heat, fr. kai`ein to burn; either because during a great heat there is generally also a calm, or because the hot time of the day obliges us seek for shade and quiet; cf. Caustic] Freedom from motion, agitation, or disturbance; a cessation or absence of that which causes motion or disturbance, as of winds or waves; tranquility; stillness; quiet; serenity.

The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. --Mark. iv. 39.

A calm before a storm is commonly a peace of a man's own making. --South.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Caustic

Cat`a*caus"tic\, a. [Pref. cata + caustic.] (Physics) Relating to, or having the properties of, a caustic curve formed by reflection. See Caustic, a. --Nichol.

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