English

Etymology
From the Greek κα�����, burnt, via the Latin causticus, burning.

Pronunciation
w:AHD|AHD: kôs'tĭk or k�s'tĭk
w:International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA: /�k��stɪk/ or /�k�stɪk/
w:SAMPA|SAMPA: /"kO:stIk/ or /"kQstIk/
audio|en-us-caustic.ogg|Audio (US)
:Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-��stɪk|-��stɪk

Adjective
en-adj

1. Capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue
2. context|of language etc sharp, bitter, cutting, biting, sarcastic

Synonyms
(capable of destroying tissue): acidic, biting, burning, corrosive, searing
(severe, sharp): bitchy, biting, catty, mordacious, nasty, sharp, spiteful

Quotations
1843: "How now!" said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever. — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
1843: The bargain was not concluded as easily as might have been expected though, for Scadder was caustic and ill-humoured, and cast much unnecessary opposition in the way — Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit
1853: Madame Beck esteemed me learned and blue; Miss Fanshawe, caustic, ironic, and cynical — Charlotte Bronte, Villette
1857:The Secretary and the Assistant-Secretaries would say little caustic things about him to the senior clerks, and seemed somewhat to begrudge him his new honours. — Anthony Trollope, The Three Clerks
1886: this set of worthies, who were only too prone to shut up their emotions with caustic words. — Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge
1930s???: though he came too late / To join the martyrs, there was still a place / Among the tempters for a caustic tongue / / To test the resolution of the young / With tales of the small failings of the great — W.H.Auden, 'The Quest'

Derived terms
caustic curve
caustic potash
caustic soda
caustic surface

Translations
trans-top|capable of destroying organic tissue
Finnish: syövyttävä
trans-mid
Italian: caustico
trans-bottom

trans-top|severe; satirical; sharp
Finnish: pureva, ivallinen
trans-mid
Italian: caustico
trans-bottom

Noun
en-noun

1. Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.
2. context|optics|computer graphics The envelope of reflected or refracted rays of light for a given surface or object.
3. mathematics The envelope of reflected or refracted rays for a given curve.
4. context|informal|chemistry caustic soda

Derived terms
lunar caustic

Translations
Italian: caustica f (2,3)

ar:caustic
de:caustic
io:caustic
it:caustic
pl:caustic
ru:caustic
te:caustic
vi:caustic
tr:caustic
zh:caustic

• 2007-11-22 03:40 - Interwicket - iwiki +tr

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