Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: causticus, from Greek, from kaiein 'to burn'

caustic

 adjective
     
NEW! See related topics: CHEMISTRY
caus‧tic
1HC a caustic substance can burn through things by chemical action:
caustic soda (=a chemical used for cleaning things)
2 a caustic remark criticizes someone in a way that is unkind but often cleverly humorous
caustic wit/comments/remark etc
Eliot appreciated Pound's caustic wit.
—caustically adverb:
'I can hardly wait,' Sir Trevor replied caustically.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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