corrosive

[ kuh-roh-siv ]

/ kəˈroʊ sɪv /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR corrosive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having the quality of corroding or eating away; erosive.

harmful or destructive; deleterious: the corrosive effect of poverty on their marriage.

sharply sarcastic; caustic: corrosive comments on the speaker's integrity.

noun

something corrosive, as an acid or drug.

Nearby words

corroboration, corroboree, corrode, corrody, corrosion, corrosive, corrosive sublimate, corrugate, corrugated iron, corrugated paper, corrugation

Origin of corrosive

1350–1400; late Middle English (< Middle French) < Medieval Latin corrōsīvus, equivalent to Latin corrōs(us) (see corrosion) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English corosif < Middle French < Latin as above

Related forms

cor·ro·sive·ly, adverbcor·ro·sive·ness, cor·ro·siv·i·ty

[kawr-oh-siv-i-tee, kor-] /ˌkɔr oʊˈsɪv ɪ ti, ˌkɒr-/, nounnon·cor·ro·sive, adjectivenon·cor·ro·sive·ly, adverb

non·cor·ro·sive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for corrosive

Such was the corrosive paranoia of the time, fueled by McCarthy and abetted by Hoover.
I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk|Clive Irving|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The road salt makes a mushy, corrosive paste that is flung universally about the under-and over-sides of every vehicle.
Book Bag: Beguiling if Unlikely Travel Books|Sean Wilsey|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mr. President, you can speak out and help us confront this corrosive element, but time is running out.
Dear Obama, the Time for Presidential Leadership on Race Is Now|Ron Christie|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This, surely, has had a corrosive effect on Tejpal and his self-image.
The Fall of India’s Conscience|Tunku Varadarajan|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But the corrosive effects of both polarization and legal corruption were nothing compared to today.
Hillary 2016 Brings Back Boomer Clinton Rage|Michael Tomasky|August 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Its innoccuous nature, and its freedom from any corrosive action on dissecting instruments.
History of Embalming|J. N. Gannal
In acute poisoning (especially by the corrosive salts) the changes are great and striking.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
It is highly acrid and corrosive, and in large doses poisonous.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
It is the corrosive element that rusts away all the pure gold of energy and aspiration.
The Universe a Vast Electric Organism|George Woodward Warder
Corrosive sublimate is the most efficient disinfectant under ordinary conditions.
Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for corrosive

corrosive

/ (kəˈrəʊsɪv) /

adjective

(esp of acids or alkalis) capable of destroying solid materials

tending to eat away or consume

cutting; sarcastica corrosive remark

noun

a corrosive substance, such as a strong acid or alkali

Derived Forms

corrosively, adverbcorrosiveness, noun

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

Medicine definitions for corrosive

corrosive

[ kə-rō′sĭv ]

adj.

Causing or tending to cause the gradual destruction of a substance by chemical action.

n.

A substance having the capability or tendency to cause slow destruction.