caustic : Idioms & Phrases

• (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.

Webster 1913

• noun a caustic substance produced by heating limestone
  calcium hydroxide; calcium hydrate; slaked lime; hydrated lime; lime hydrate; lime.
  

WordNet

• . See under Lime.

Webster 1913

• noun a potassium compound often used in agriculture and industry
  potash; potassium hydroxide.
  

WordNet

• (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same.

Webster 1913

• noun witty language used to convey insults or scorn
  sarcasm; irony; satire.
  
  • he used sarcasm to upset his opponent
  • irony is wasted on the stupid
  • Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift

WordNet

• nitrate of silver, lunar caustic.

Webster 1913

• noun a strongly alkaline caustic used in manufacturing soap and paper and aluminum and various sodium compounds
  sodium hydroxide.
  

WordNet

• (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.

Webster 1913

• noun silver nitrate fused into sticks and formerly used as a caustic
  

WordNet

• (Med. Chem.), silver nitrate prepared to be used as a cautery; so named because silver was called luna by the ancient alchemists.

Webster 1913