Dictionary.com
definitions

corrosive

[kuh-roh-siv]
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.

RELATED CONTENT

After the tragic Arizona shooting, the word “vitriol” was everywhere in the news. What is its literally dangerous meaning?After Saturday’s shocking attack on Arizona lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords and a crowd of bystanders, an unusual word proliferated through all forms of media. Shortly after the shooting tragedy, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik cited “vitriolic rhetoric” as a potential source for the violence. This article is not about politics or the relationship of media and violence in American culture. The topic at hand, of course, …
READ MORE
Word Lookups From Obama’s Farewell SpeechPresident Barack Obama’s second and final term is at an end. He gave his farewell speech Tuesday January 10 in Chicago, the city that launched his rise to national prominence. Word choices and speech patterns of our world leaders are a constant source of discussion (and comedy skits), as every administration has a style and at least one tic. Long known as an effective public …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

acrimony, causticity, corrosive, mordacity, mordancy, trenchancy

Nearby words

  1. corroborative,
  2. corroboree,
  3. corrode,
  4. corrody,
  5. corrosion,
  6. corrosive sublimate,
  7. corrugate,
  8. corrugated,
  9. corrugated iron,
  10. corrugated paper

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for corrosivity

corrosive

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 Formscorrosively, 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
Word Origin and History for corrosivity

corrosive

adj.

late 14c., from Old French corrosif (13c.), from corroder (see corrode).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for corrosivity

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.