fixative
a fixative substance, as a gummy liquid sprayed on a drawing to prevent blurring, or a solution for killing, hardening, and preserving material for microscopic study.
a substance that retards evaporation, as in the manufacture of perfume.
Origin of fixative
1Other words from fixative
- un·fix·a·tive, adjective
Words Nearby fixative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use fixative in a sentence
I sent a shower of spray from the fixative over the canvas, and said: “Well, go on.”
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show | Robert W. Chambers | February 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOf these, Lang's corrosive sublimate solution is decidedly the best all-round "fixative."
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreHeat your fixative as you would sealing wax, over a candle, also heat the arrow and the metal head.
Hunting with the Bow and Arrow | Saxton PopeBandoline, a fixative for keeping hair in curl is commonly prepared from carrageen.
Scotty wiped both with fixative and put them on the floor to dry.
The Flying Stingaree | Harold Leland Goodwin
Baldwin brought a bottle of fixative and sprayed the drawing through a blowpipe.
Ewing\'s Lady | Harry Leon Wilson
British Dictionary definitions for fixative
/ (ˈfɪksətɪv) /
serving or tending to fix
a fluid usually consisting of a transparent resin, such as shellac, dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over drawings to prevent smudging
cytology a fluid, such as formaldehyde or ethanol, that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study
a substance added to a liquid, such as a perfume, to make it less volatile
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse