caustic
[kaw-stik]
- capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
- severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.
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- a caustic substance.
- Optics.
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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
Synonyms
See more synonyms for caustic on Thesaurus.com2. biting, mordant, bitter, scathing, acid.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for caustic
Contemporary Examples
Why do you think that until know you have been cast as the caustic wife in other pieces?
Her father left his entire £2 million fortune to his brother, explaining his decision in a caustic rider to his will.
When his companion reacts to his confession with a caustic joke, he says, confused, “So it makes a difference does it?”
The Laboratory of Real Life in Caryl Churchill’s “Love and Information”Liesl Schillinger
February 21, 2014
Perhaps the most caustic anti-Republican riff came from Al Gore.
And she does it all with caustic wit and some less-than-charming winking.
Historical Examples
It is--but the mention of her name is a caustic to the wounds of her heart.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. IFrancis Augustus Cox
Sir Rowland flushed under that mocking glance and caustic tone.
Mistress WildingRafael Sabatini
It also gives off ammonia, when treated with caustic potash.
The strong bases, like lye and caustic soda, are also called alkalies.
Common ScienceCarleton W. Washburne
Tonic, irritant, and caustic; dose internally, one to two drachms.
Cattle and Their DiseasesRobert Jennings
caustic
- 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
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- 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
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Word Origin
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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Word Origin and History for caustic
adj.
c.1400, "burning, corrosive," from Latin causticus "burning, caustic," from Greek kaustikos "capable of burning; corrosive," from kaustos "combustible; burnt," verbal adjective from kaiein, the Greek word for "to burn" (transitive and intransitive) in all periods, of uncertain origin with no certain cognates outside Greek. Figurative sense of "sarcastic" is attested from 1771. As a noun, early 15c., from the adjective.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
caustic
(kô′stĭk)- A hydroxide of a light metal.
- A caustic material or substance.
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- 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.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.