treat with a mordant

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• mordant — I. adjective Etymology: Middle French, present participle of mordre to bite, from Latin mordēre; perhaps akin to Sanskrit mṛdnāti he presses, rubs Date: 15th century 1. biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style ; incisive < a mordant wit >… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

• mordant — mor•dant [[t]ˈmɔr dnt[/t]] adj. 1) sharply caustic or sarcastic; biting; cutting: mordant wit[/ex] 2) burning; corrosive 3) chem. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing 4) tex chem. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring… …   From formal English to slang

• mordant — mordantly, adv. /mawr dnt/, adj. 1. sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker; biting. 2. burning; corrosive. 3. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing. n. 4. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, esp. a… …   Universalium

• mordant — /ˈmɔdnt / (say mawdnt) adjective 1. caustic or sarcastic, as wit, a speaker, etc. 2. having the property of fixing colours, as in dyeing. –noun 3. a substance used in dyeing to fix the colouring matter, especially a metallic compound, as an oxide …  

• mordant — [môr′dənt] adj. [ME mordent < OFr mordant, prp. of mordre, to bite < L mordere < IE * merd , var. of base * mer : see MORBID] 1. biting, cutting, caustic, or sarcastic, as speech, wit, etc. 2. causing corrosion 3. acting as a mordant n.… …   English World dictionary

• Mordant — A substance capable of deepening the reaction to a stain (as in the pathology laboratory); incisive; burning or pungent; and so, by extension, biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style. The word mordant has some bite to it since it comes… …   Medical dictionary

• mordant — [ mɔ:d(ə)nt] adjective (especially of humour) sharp or critical. noun 1》 a substance that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material.     ↘an adhesive compound for fixing gold leaf. 2》 a corrosive liquid used to etch the… …   English new terms dictionary

• mor´dant|ly — mor|dant «MR duhnt», adjective, noun, verb. –adj. 1. biting; cutting; sarcastic: »a mordant sense of humor. The mordant criticism hurt his feelings. Restraining his tongue from mordant allusions to that “prancing, red haired fellow” (John… …   Useful english dictionary

• mor|dant — «MR duhnt», adjective, noun, verb. –adj. 1. biting; cutting; sarcastic: »a mordant sense of humor. The mordant criticism hurt his feelings. Restraining his tongue from mordant allusions to that “prancing, red haired fellow” (John Galsworthy).… …   Useful english dictionary

• dye — dyable, dyeable, adj. dyer, n. /duy/, n., v., dyed, dyeing. n. 1. a coloring material or matter. 2. a liquid containing coloring matter, for imparting a particular hue to cloth, paper, etc. 3. color or hue, esp. as produced by dyeing. 4. of the… …   Universalium

• performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium