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Definition of caustic
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caustic was our Word of the Day on 07/22/2008. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of caustic in a Sentence
His [Roosevelt's] caustic cousin, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, called him a sissy and a mama's boy. —Garry Wills, Atlantic, April 1994
It was Schuyler's gift for satire and his caustic wit that distinguished his writings and led to his nickname, the Black Mencken. —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times Book Review, 20 Sept. 1992
Albert quailed before those caustic pronouncements, he shuddered and blanched and felt his stomach drop like a croquette into a vat of hot grease. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, October 1987
The chemical was so caustic that it ate through the pipes.
She wrote a caustic report about the decisions that led to the crisis.
Recent Examples of caustic from the Web
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Another treatment, sclerotherapy, involves injecting the irritated vein with a caustic agent, as is often done for spider veins on legs and ankles.
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Collectively, they are meant to send a caustic message regarding the place of blacks in society.
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James asked if the material could be caustic to the city's infrastructure.
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Those words amounted to perhaps the most caustic insult that Trump has publicly hurled at another American since taking office, going beyond his usual name-calling and flame-throwing.
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Those words amounted to perhaps the most caustic insult that Trump has publicly hurled at another American since taking office, going beyond his usual name-calling and flame-throwing.
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But this agent was difficult to make, caustic and often smelly.
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The Grammy-winning singer made a surprise visit to the London borough's fire brigade to show her support for those battling the caustic Grenfell Tower blaze that is believed to have killed 79 people.
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But Trump has not had a monopoly on caustic language.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caustic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
If you have a burning desire to know the origins of "caustic," you're already well on the way to figuring it out. "Caustic" was borrowed into English in the 14th century from the Latin causticus, which itself derives from the Greek kaustikos. "Kaustikos," in turn, comes from the Greek verb kaiein, meaning "to burn." Other "kaiein" descendants in English include "cautery" and "cauterize," "hypocaust" (an ancient Roman heating system), "causalgia" (a burning pain caused by nerve damage), and "encaustic" (a kind of paint which is heated after it's applied).
Origin and Etymology of caustic
Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaiein to burn
Synonym Discussion of caustic
Definition of caustic
1 : a caustic agent: such asa : a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical actionb : a strong corrosive alkali (such as sodium hydroxide)
2 : the envelope of rays emanating from a point and reflected or refracted by a curved surface
Recent Examples of caustic from the Web
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Mr. Trump’s other mentor was the caustic and conniving McCarthy-era lawyer Roy Cohn, who counseled Mr. Trump never to give in or concede error.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caustic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of caustic
see 1caustic
CAUSTIC Defined for English Language Learners
caustic
playDefinition of caustic for English Language Learners
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: able to destroy or burn something by chemical action
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: very harsh and critical
CAUSTIC Defined for Kids
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of caustic
: capable of destroying or eating away organic tissue and especially animal tissue by chemical action silver nitrate and sulfuric acid are caustic agents
caustic
Medical Definition of caustic
: a caustic agent: asa: a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical action : escharoticb: a strong corrosive alkali (as sodium hydroxide)
Learn More about caustic
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for caustic Spanish Central: Translation of caustic Nglish: Translation of caustic for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
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