caustic
[ kaw-stik ]
/ ˈkɔ stɪk /
adjective
capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.
noun
a caustic substance.
Optics.
Nearby words
causerie, causeuse, causeway, causey, causist, caustic, caustic alcohol, caustic baryta, caustic curve, caustic lime, caustic potash
Origin of caustic
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin causticus < Greek kaustikós burning, caustic, equivalent to kaust(ós) burnt (verbal adjective of kaíein to burn) + -ikos -ic
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for caustic
British Dictionary definitions for caustic
caustic
/ (ˈkɔːstɪk) /
adjective
capable of burning or corroding by chemical actioncaustic soda
sarcastic; cuttinga caustic reply
of, relating to, or denoting light that is reflected or refracted by a curved surface
noun
Also called: caustic surface a surface that envelops the light rays reflected or refracted by a curved surface
Also called: caustic curve a curve formed by the intersection of a caustic surface with a plane
chem a caustic substance, esp an alkali
Derived Forms
caustical, adjectivecaustically, adverbcausticity (kɔːˈstɪsɪtɪ) or causticness, nounWord Origin for caustic
C14: from Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaiein to burn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medicine definitions for caustic
caustic
[ kô′stĭk ]
n.
A hydroxide of a light metal.
A caustic material or substance.
adj.
Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action.
Of or relating to light emitted from a point source and reflected or refracted from a curved surface.
Causing a burning or stinging sensation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.