Fixative - Definitions from Dictionary.com

7 results for: Fixative

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

fix·a·tive

Audio Help [fik-suh-tiv] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	serving to fix; making fixed or permanent.

–noun Also, fix·a·tif

Audio Help [fik-suh-tiv, -teef] Pronunciation Key.

2.	a fixative substance, as a gummy liquid sprayed on a drawing to prevent blurring, or a solution for killing, hardening, and preserving material for microscopic study.

3.	Also called fixer. Photography. a chemical substance, as sodium thiosulfate, used to promote fixation.

4.	a substance that retards evaporation, as in the manufacture of perfume.

[Origin: 1635–45; fix + -ative

]

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

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Fixative

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fix·a·tive Audio Help (fĭk'sə-tĭv) Pronunciation Key
n. Something that fixes, protects, or preserves, especially:

a. A liquid preservative applied to artwork, such as watercolor paintings or charcoal drawings.

fix'a·tive adj.

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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.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

fixative
noun
1.	a compound (such as ethanol or formaldehyde) that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study
2.	a varnish dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over pictures to prevent smudging

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fixative fix·a·tive (fĭk'sə-tĭv)
adj.
Serving to fix, bind, or make firm or stable. n.
A substance used for the preservation of tissue or cell specimens.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: fix·a·tive
Pronunciation: 'fik-s&t-iv
Function: noun
: a substance used to fix living tissue

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

Fixative

Fix"a*tive\, n. That which serves to set or fix colors or drawings, as a mordant.

On-line Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fixative

fixative: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary

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