mordant

[ mawr-dnt ]

/ ˈmɔr dnt /

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adjective

sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker; biting.

burning; corrosive.

having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing.

noun

a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, especially a metallic compound, as an oxide or hydroxide, that combines with the organic dye and forms an insoluble colored compound or lake in the fiber.

an adhesive substance for binding gold or silver leaf to a surface.

an acid or other corrosive substance used in etching to eat out the lines, areas, etc.

Music. mordent.

verb (used with object)

to impregnate or treat with a mordant.

OTHER WORDS FOR mordant

1 cutting, stinging, acerbic, scathing.

See synonyms for mordant on Thesaurus.com

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of mordant

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, present participle of mordre “to bite,” ultimately derived from Latin mordēre; see -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM mordant

mor·dant·ly, adverbun·mor·dant, adjectiveun·mor·dant·ly, adverb

Words nearby mordant

morcellation, morcellation operation, morcha, mordacious, mordancy, mordant, mordant rouge, Mordecai, mordent, mor. dict., mordida

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mordant in a sentence

Remove the fabric from the mordant and place it in the dye bath.
Make natural fabric dye with vegetable scraps|Natalie Wallington|September 5, 2021|Popular-Science
This is your mordant liquid, which removes finishing chemicals from your fabric and makes the dye adhere better to the cloth.
Make natural fabric dye with vegetable scraps|Natalie Wallington|September 5, 2021|Popular-Science
Yet, it fit so well with the mordant tenor of the game that I felt no compulsion to try to better Curdin’s fate.
‘Mundaun’ offers the rare chance to smoke a pipe while talking to the severed head of a goat|Christopher Byrd|March 26, 2021|Washington Post
More than anything else he is cheery—mordant and ironic at times, but undauntedly optimistic.
The Stacks: Grateful Dead I Have Known|Ed McClanahan|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Such seemingly effortless—and mordant—improvisation can be a marvel to behold.
The Stacks: Robin Williams, More Than A Shtick Figure|Joe Morgenstern|August 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mischievous, more bite than bark in the sense that it was mordant with minimal rhetoric, Heaney was not genteel.
Robert Pinsky: The Comedy of Seamus Heaney|Robert Pinsky|October 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Mordant" is the word I think I want to describe his conversation.
Robert Bork, RIP|David Frum|December 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I like that the emotional lives of women are tinged with a kind of mordant humor for the most part.
Broadway's Comeback Kid|Kevin Sessums|November 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
In some cases the mordant is added to the dye liquid; in others the material is previously treated with it before being colored.
Philippine Mats|Hugo H. Miller
Lime is sometimes used as a mordant but the straws are usually first treated with kolis leaves.
Philippine Mats|Hugo H. Miller
The king sent him back the picture, mordant epigrams appeared in the journals, and Reynolds scoffed at him in his Discourses.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4)|Richard Muther
His mordant reply to the questioning pay-clerk was: "Yes, I am a mason."
The Stones of Paris in History and Letters, Volume I (of 2)|Benjamin Ellis Martin
The first act seemed gay and lively, with a sort of mordant raillery in it with which the audience was unfamiliar.
The English Stage|Augustin Filon

British Dictionary definitions for mordant

mordant

/ (ˈmɔːdənt) /

adjective

sarcastic or caustic

having the properties of a mordant

pungent

noun

a substance used before the application of a dye, possessing the ability to fix colours in textiles, leather, etcSee also lake 2 (def. 1)

an acid or other corrosive fluid used to etch lines on a printing plate

verb

(tr) to treat (a fabric, yarn, etc) with a mordant

Derived forms of mordant

mordancy, nounmordantly, adverb

Word Origin for mordant

C15: from Old French: biting, from mordre to bite, from Latin mordēre

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

Medical definitions for mordant

mordant

[ môr′dnt ]

adj.

Serving to fix colors in dyeing.

A reagent, such as tannic acid, that fixes dyes to cells, tissues, or other materials.

To treat with a mordant.

mordant

OTHER WORDS FOR mordant

Origin of mordant

OTHER WORDS FROM mordant

Words nearby mordant

Words related to mordant

How to use mordant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mordant

Derived forms of mordant

Word Origin for mordant

Medical definitions for mordant