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caustic

 - 8 dictionary results

caus⋅tic

  [kaw-stik]
Use caustic in a Sentence
–adjective
1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.
–noun
3. a caustic substance.
4. 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  [kaw-stis-i-tee] , caus⋅tic⋅ness, noun

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

caustic curve

 
–noun Optics.
a curve formed by a plane section of a caustic surface.
Also called caustic.

Origin:
1720–30

caustic surface

 
–noun Optics.
the surface to which all light rays emanating from a single point and reflected by a curved surface, as a concave mirror, are tangent.
Also called caustic.

Origin:
1865–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To caustic
caus·tic   (kô'stĭk)   
adj.  

  1. Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action.

  2. Corrosive and bitingly trenchant; cutting. See Synonyms at sarcastic.

  3. Causing a burning or stinging sensation, as from intense emotion: "Most of all, there is caustic shame for my own stupidity" (Scott Turow).

n.  

  1. A caustic material or substance.

  2. A hydroxide of a light metal.

  3. 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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1caus·tic
Pronunciation: 'ko-stik
Function: adjective
: capable of destroying or eating away organic tissue and especiallyanimal tissue by chemical action caustic agents> —caus·ti·cal·ly /-sti-k(&-)lE/ adverb —caus·tic·i·ty /ko-'stis-&t-E/ noun plural -ties

Main Entry: 2caustic
Function: noun
: a caustic agent: as a : a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical action : ESCHAROTIC b : SODIUMHYDROXIDE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

caustic caus·tic (kô'stĭk)
n.

  1. A hydroxide of a light metal.

  2. A caustic material or substance.

adj.

  1. Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action.

  2. Of or relating to light emitted from a point source and reflected or refracted from a curved surface.

  3. Causing a burning or stinging sensation.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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