fixative

American  

[fik-suh-tiv] / ˈfɪk sə tɪv /

adjective

1. serving to fix; making fixed or permanent.

---

noun

1. 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.

2. Also called fixer.  Photography. a chemical substance, as sodium thiosulfate, used to promote fixation.

3. a substance that retards evaporation, as in the manufacture of perfume.

fixative British  

/ ˈfɪksətɪv /

adjective

1. serving or tending to fix

---

noun

1. a fluid usually consisting of a transparent resin, such as shellac, dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over drawings to prevent smudging

2. cytology a fluid, such as formaldehyde or ethanol, that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study

3. a substance added to a liquid, such as a perfume, to make it less volatile

Other Word Forms

• unfixative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fixative

First recorded in 1635–45; fix + -ative

Example Sentences

Whale oil was in frenzied demand as fuel and lubricant, and ambergris, a byproduct of the animal’s digestive process, as a fixative for perfumes.

From New York Times • Jul. 3, 2022

Finally, the sample is preserved in a fixative and applied to a slide.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Two teeth showed evidence of sclareolide, a compound found in Salvia plants that has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is currently used as an aroma fixative in the perfume industry.

From Science Magazine • May 20, 2022

One by one, she unfurled drawings from her portfolio, and I held down the corners of each as she sprayed on a fixative meant to prevent smudging.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 8, 2019

"Gammagen fixative ... and so on ... sir," stumbled Mardikian.

From The Burning Bridge by Dongen, H. R. van