mordant
[ mawr-dnt ]
/ ˈmɔr dnt /
adjective
noun
verb (used with object)
to impregnate or treat with a mordant.
SYNONYMS FOR mordant
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of mordant
1425–75; late Middle English <Middle French, present participle of mordre to bite ≪ Latin mordēre;see -ant
OTHER WORDS FROM mordant
mor·dant·ly, adverbun·mor·dant, adjectiveun·mor·dant·ly, adverbWords 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for mordant
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, adverbWord 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.
n.
A reagent, such as tannic acid, that fixes dyes to cells, tissues, or other materials.
v.
To treat with a mordant.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.