a. | 1. | Biting; caustic; sarcastic; keen; severe. |
| 2. | (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Serving to fix colors. |
n. | 1. | Any corroding substance used in etching. |
| 2. | (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Any substance, as alum or copperas, which, having a twofold attraction for organic fibers and coloring matter, serves as a bond of union, and thus gives fixity to, or bites in, the dyes. |
| 3. | (Gilding) Any sticky matter by which the gold leaf is made to adhere. |
v. t. | 1. | To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant; as, to mordant goods for dyeing. |