Associations to the word «Mordant»
Noun
Wiktionary
MORDANT, adjective. Having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting; caustic; sarcastic; keen; severe.
MORDANT, noun. Any substance used to facilitate the fixing of a dye to a fibre; usually a metallic compound which reacts with the dye using chelation.
MORDANT, noun. Any corrosive substance used in etching.
MORDANT, verb. (transitive) To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant.
Dictionary definition
MORDANT, noun. A substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process.
MORDANT, adjective. Harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit".
MORDANT, adjective. Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action.
Wise words
The chief virtue that language can have is clearness, and
nothing detracts from it so much as the use of unfamiliar
words.