Mordant

5 definitions found

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

  Mordant \Mor"dant\, a. [F., p. pr. of mordere to bite; L.
     mordere. See {Morsel}.]
     1. Biting; caustic; sarcastic; keen; severe.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Serving to fix colors.


        [1913 Webster]

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

  Mordant \Mor"dant\, n. [F., originally, biting.]
     1. Any corroding substance used in etching.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Any substance, as alum or
        copperas, which, having a twofold attraction for organic
        fibers and coloring matter, serves as a bond of union, and
        thus gives fixity to, or bites in, the dyes.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Gilding) Any sticky matter by which the gold leaf is made
        to adhere.
        [1913 Webster]

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

  Mordant \Mor"dant\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Mordanted}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Mordanting}.]
     To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant; as, to
     mordant goods for dyeing.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mordant
       adj : harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke";
             "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning
             ... to savage mordant wit" [syn: {black}, {grim}]
       n : a substance used to treat leather or other materials before
           dyeing; aids in dyeing process

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  110 Moby Thesaurus words for "mordant":
     Attic, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulent,
     acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, actual cautery, asperous,
     astringent, biting, bitter, brand, brand iron, branding iron,
     brilliant, caustic, cauter, cauterant, cauterizer, cautery, clever,
     corroding, corrosive, cutting, double-edged, driving, droll, edged,
     effective, electrocautery, escharotic, facetious, fierce, forceful,
     forcible, funny, gutsy, harsh, hot iron, humorous, humorsome,
     imperative, impressive, incisive, irritating, jesting, jocose,
     jocular, joking, joky, joshing, keen, keen-witted, lunar caustic,
     mordacious, moxa, nervous, nimble-witted, nose-tickling,
     penetrating, piercing, piquant, poignant, pointed,
     potential cautery, powerful, punchy, pungent, quick-witted, radium,
     rapier-like, rigorous, rough, salt, salty, scathing, scintillating,
     scorching, sensational, severe, sharp, sinewed, sinewy, slashing,
     smart, sour, sparkling, sprightly, stabbing, stinging, strident,
     striking, stringent, strong, tart, telling, trenchant, vehement,
     vigorous, violent, virulent, vital, vitriolic, whimsical,
     withering, witty