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

Fixative and the aroma of spring, isn't that it?

From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Masterpieces of German Literature Vol. 19 by Various