Irritant

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Irritant \Ir"ri*tant\, a. [LL. irritants, -antis, p. pr. of
     irritare to make null, fr. L. irritus void; pref. ir- not +
     ratus established.] (Scots Law)
     Rendering null and void; conditionally invalidating.
     [1913 Webster]
  


           The states elected Harry, Duke of Anjou, for their
           king, with this clause irritant; that, if he did
           violate any part of his oath, the people should owe him
           no allegiance.                           --Hayward.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Irritant \Ir"ri*tant\, a. [L. irritans, -antis, p. pr. of
     irritare: cf. F. irritant. See {Irritate} to excite.]
     Irritating; producing irritation or inflammation.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Irritant \Ir"ri*tant\, n. [Cf. F. irritant.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. That which irritates or excites.
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     2. (Physiol. & Med.) Any agent by which irritation is
        produced; as, a chemical irritant; a mechanical or
        electrical irritant.
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     3. (Toxicology) A poison that produces inflammation.
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     {Counter irritant}. See under {Counter}.
  
     {Pure irritant} (Toxicology), a poison that produces
        inflammation without any corrosive action upon the
        tissues.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  irritant
       n : something that causes irritation and annoyance; "he's a
           thorn in my flesh" [syn: {thorn}]