- a variation of mordent.
mordant
Americanadjective
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)
-
mordants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mordanted,
past participle, past
-
mordanting
present participle
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, etc See also lake 2
-
an acid or other corrosive fluid used to etch lines on a printing plate
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mordantsimple
-
mordantssimple
-
have mordantedperfect
-
has mordantedperfect
-
am mordantingprogressive
-
are mordantingprogressive
-
is mordantingprogressive
-
have been mordantingperfect progressive
-
has been mordantingperfect progressive
Past
-
mordantedsimple
-
had mordantedperfect
-
was mordantingprogressive
-
were mordantingprogressive
-
had been mordantingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
If you like Edgar Allan Poe and The Addams Family, you have a taste for mordant entertainment — that is, anything particularly grim or dark in nature. The original meaning of mordant (which comes from the Latin word mordere meaning "to bite or sting,") was that of a physical substance that literally bit into something, such as the one used to set dye into fabrics, or etch lines into a copper plate. Now, mordant generally refers to a dark or biting artistic style, sense of humor, or psychological outlook.
Vocabulary lists containing mordant
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As a child of refugees from Hitler’s Germany and the descendent of a once-large family tree, many of whose branches were obliterated by the Holocaust, Mr. Moritz registered the diagnosis with mordant irony.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
That mordant humor, however enjoyable, tiptoes around the unanswerable question of how, or even whether, we can tell the difference between cosplay and the real thing.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
His worst critics perceived this outlook as complacency, something insufficiently mordant for any writer of the long, wicked 20th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
Martinez scatters ceramic roses across the painting, a mordant honorific to past glory and current hopes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
Tyrion took a mordant pleasure in inventing the details of the colorful life of Hugor Hill, also known as Yollo, a bastard out of Lannisport.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Options already exist for fixing dyes without lead, including natural mordants derived from plants rich in tannins, such as oak bark, pomegranate peel and rosemary, as well as alum, which is considered environmentally safe.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2026
“And the mordants too. You must learn those. Sometimes sumac. Tree galls are good. Some lichens. “Best is — here, come; let me show you.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
Another very remarkable discovery of the Egyptians was the use of mordants.
From Quilts Their Story and How to Make Them by Marie D. (Marie Daugherty) Webster
With the different mordants it yields very distinct colours, all fast to light and soap, namely, red with aluminium, orange with tin, reddish brown with chromium, purple and black with iron.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
It dyes somewhat like Old Fustic, but gives with aluminium and tin mordants brighter yellows, for which colours it is chiefly used.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
If the silk has been first mordanted with alum, compound colours can be obtained by the addition of a red or yellow dye to the bath.
From Vegetable Dyes Being a Book of Recipes and Other Information Useful to the Dyer by Ethel M. Mairet
During this operation the wool at first attracts chromic acid, which is gradually reduced to chromium chromate, so that the mordanted fibre has finally a pale olive-yellow tint.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
Gallocyanin, as it is called, imparts a violet blue shade to mordanted cotton.
From Coal and What We Get from It by Raphael Meldola
Cotton and linen, on the other hand, are not dyed so readily; they need first to be mordanted or impregnated with the mordant tannic acid.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various
In this process the tannic acid is called the mordant, the tartar emetic acts as the fixing-agent for the tannic acid, and the cotton as finally prepared for dyeing is said to be mordanted.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
The temperature of the mordanting bath must be raised very gradually to boiling point or the wool will dye unevenly.
From Vegetable Dyes Being a Book of Recipes and Other Information Useful to the Dyer by Ethel M. Mairet
In some cases the cotton is passed through alternate baths containing, on one hand, the mordanting salt, e.g., alum, copperas, etc., and, on the other, a fixing agent, such as soda or phosphate of soda.
From The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics A Practical Handbook for the Dyer and Student by Franklin Beech
The cotton fibre has some affinity for the tannic acid used in preparing it and absorbs it from the mordanting bath.
From The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics A Practical Handbook for the Dyer and Student by Franklin Beech
Tannic acid is the best tannin for mordanting as it is the purest and is free from any other colouring matter; it is, therefore, used for pale and bright shades.
From Vegetable Dyes Being a Book of Recipes and Other Information Useful to the Dyer by Ethel M. Mairet
Following on the mordanting operations comes the dyeing, which is carried out in the following manner.
From The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics A Practical Handbook for the Dyer and Student by Franklin Beech
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