mordant

Meanings

Adjective

• Having or showing a sharp or critical quality
• Serving to fix a dye to a fibre.

Noun

• Any substance used to facilitate the fixing of a dye to a fibre; usually a metallic compound which reacts with the dye using chelation.
• Any corrosive substance used in etching.
• A glutinous size used as a ground for gilding, to make the gold leaf adhere.

Verb

• To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant.

Related

Similar words

• etchant

Origin

• From French mordant, from Latin mordeō. mordent.