caustic

n. [ L. causticum (sc. medicamentum). See Caustic, a. ] 1. Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Optics) A caustic curve or caustic surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. caustucs, Ge. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to burn. Cf. Calm, Ink. ] 1. Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Severe; satirical; sharp; as, a caustic remark. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caustic curve (Optics), a curve to which the ray of light, reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane. --
Caustic lime. See under Lime. --
Caustic potash,
Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same. --
Caustic silver, nitrate of silver, lunar caustic. --
Caustic surface (Optics), a surface to which rays reflected or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic curves and surfaces are called catacaustic when formed by reflection, and diacaustic when formed by refraction.

Syn. -- Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a caustic manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being caustic; corrosiveness; as, the causticity of potash. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Severity of language; sarcasm; as, the causticity of a reply or remark. [ 1913 Webster ]