mordant
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1mor·dant
adjective \ˈmȯr-dənt\Definition of MORDANT
1
: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : incisive <a mordant wit>
2
: acting as a mordant
See Examples of MORDANT
- a writer famous for her mordant humor
- <a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours>
Origin of MORDANT
Middle French, present participle of mordre to bite, from Latin mordēre; perhaps akin to Sanskrit mṛdnāti he presses, rubs
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to MORDANT
Rhymes with MORDANT
2mordant
nounDefinition of MORDANT
1
: a chemical that fixes a dye in or on a substance by combining with the dye to form an insoluble compound
2
: a corroding substance used in etching
First Known Use of MORDANT
1791
3mordant
transitive verbDefinition of MORDANT
: to treat with a mordant
First Known Use of MORDANT
1836
mor·dant
noun \ˈmȯrd-ənt\ (Medical Dictionary)Medical Definition of MORDANT
: a chemical that fixes a dye in or on a substance by combining with the dye to form an insoluble compound
—mordant transitive verb
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