mor·dant

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• mor´dant|ly — mor|dant «MR duhnt», adjective, noun, verb. –adj. 1. biting; cutting; sarcastic: »a mordant sense of humor. The mordant criticism hurt his feelings. Restraining his tongue from mordant allusions to that “prancing, red haired fellow” (John… …   Useful english dictionary

• mor|dant — «MR duhnt», adjective, noun, verb. –adj. 1. biting; cutting; sarcastic: »a mordant sense of humor. The mordant criticism hurt his feelings. Restraining his tongue from mordant allusions to that “prancing, red haired fellow” (John Galsworthy).… …   Useful english dictionary

• dant — abun·dant; abun·dant·ly; beu·dant·ite; com·man·dant; con·cor·dant; con·fi·dant; dis·cor·dant; fon·dant; in·un·dant; man·dant; ox·i·dant; re·dun·dant·ly; re·gar·dant; trep·i·dant; ver·dant; an·ti·ox·i·dant; de·nu·dant; guar·dant; mor·dant;… …   English syllables

• mordant — mor·dant …   English syllables

• mordantly — mor·dant·ly …   English syllables

• mordant — mor•dant [[t]ˈmɔr dnt[/t]] adj. 1) sharply caustic or sarcastic; biting; cutting: mordant wit[/ex] 2) burning; corrosive 3) chem. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing 4) tex chem. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring… …   From formal English to slang

• mordant — (mor dant) A substance that helps fix dye on or in a cell …   Dictionary of microbiology

• mordant — mor|dant [ˈmo:dənt US ˈmo:r ] adj [Date: 1400 1500; : French; Origin: , present participle of mordre to bite , from Latin mordere] mordant wit/satire/humour formal unkind and insulting humour etc that is also funny = ↑biting ▪ The play s mordant… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• Mordant — Mor|dant [... dã:] der; s, s u. die; , s (meist Plur.) <aus fr. mordant »Beize, Ätzmittel«, eigtl. »beißend«, zu mordre »beißen«, dies aus gleichbed. lat. mordere> Ätzmittel, ätzende Paste, die mit dem Pinsel auf die Platte aufgetragen… …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

• mordant — mor|dant [ mɔrdnt ] adjective FORMAL criticizing in a way that is cruel: mordant wit/humor …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English