Word of the Day

: July 22, 2008

caustic

adjective KAWSS-tik

What It Means

1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive

2 : marked by incisive sarcasm

caustic in Context

She always seemed to have a caustic reply to any silly or unnecessary question.

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).