mordant

From French mordant, from Latin mordeō. Doublet of mordent.

• IPA^(key): /mɔː(ɹ)dənt/

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• Homophone: mordent

mordant (comparative more mordant, superlative most mordant)

1. Having or showing a sharp or critical quality

   Synonyms: biting, caustic, keen, sarcastic, severe

2. Serving to fix a dye to a fibre.

• morsel
• remorse

mordant (countable and uncountable, plural mordants)

1. Any substance used to facilitate the fixing of a dye to a fibre; usually a metallic compound which reacts with the dye using chelation.
   • 1964, L.F. Salzman, English Industries of the Middle Ages, page 208:

     In dyeing two mediums are required, the colouring matter and the mordant which fixes the dye in the wool.

2. Any corrosive substance used in etching.
3. A glutinous size used as a ground for gilding, to make the gold leaf adhere.

• (substance for etching): etchant

mordant (third-person singular simple present mordants, present participle mordanting, simple past and past participle mordanted)

1. (transitive) To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant.

   Mordant these goods for dyeing.

• mordant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• mordent

• dormant

mordant

1. present participle of mordre

mordant (feminine mordante, masculine plural mordants, feminine plural mordantes)

1. biting, sharp, acrid
2. mordant
3. corrosive

• “mordant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• dormant

Borrowed from French mordant.

mordant m or n (feminine singular mordantă, masculine plural mordanți, feminine and neuter plural mordante)

1. mordant