CAUSTIC


Meaning of CAUSTIC in English

adj. & n.

adj. 1 that burns or corrodes organic tissue. 2 sarcastic, biting. 3 Chem. strongly alkaline. 4 Physics formed by the intersection of reflected or refracted parallel rays from a curved surface.

n. 1 a caustic substance. 2 Physics a caustic surface or curve. caustic potash potassium hydroxide. caustic soda sodium hydroxide. caustically adv. causticity n.

[ L causticus f. Gk kaustikos f. kaustos burnt f. kaio burn ]

Concise Oxford English dictionary.      Краткий оксфордский словарь английского языка.