mordant : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: mordant	by the DICT Development Group
4 results for mordant
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
mordant adj harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit" Synonym(s): black, grim, mordant of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action Synonym(s): caustic, corrosive, erosive, vitriolic, mordant n a substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Mordant \Mor"dant\, a. [F., p. pr. of mordere to bite; L. mordere. See {Morsel}.] 1. Biting; caustic; sarcastic; keen; severe. 2. (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Serving to fix colors.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Mordant \Mor"dant\, n. [F., originally, biting.] 1. Any corroding substance used in etching. 2. (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Any substance, as alum or copperas, which, having a twofold attraction for organic fibers and coloring matter, serves as a bond of union, and thus gives fixity to, or bites in, the dyes. 3. (Gilding) Any sticky matter by which the gold leaf is made to adhere.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Mordant \Mor"dant\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Mordanted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Mordanting}.] To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant; as, to mordant goods for dyeing.