corrosive

  • 1Corrosive — Cor*ro sive (k?r r? s?v), a. [Cf. F. corrosif.] 1. Eating away; having the power of gradually wearing, changing, or destroying the texture or substance of a body; as, the corrosive action of an acid. Corrosive liquors. Grew. Corrosive famine.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2corrosive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ tending to cause corrosion. ► NOUN ▪ a corrosive substance. DERIVATIVES corrosively adverb corrosiveness noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 3Corrosive — Cor*ro sive, n. 1. That which has the quality of eating or wearing away gradually. [1913 Webster] [Corrosives] act either directly, by chemically destroying the part, or indirectly by causing inflammation and gangrene. Dunglison. [1913 Webster] 2 …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4corrosive — index adverse (negative), bitter (penetrating), caustic, decadent, deleterious, disadvantageous …

    Law dictionary

  • 5corrosive — late 14c., from O.Fr. corrosif (13c.), from corroder (see CORRODE (Cf. corrode)) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6corrosive — [adj] consuming, wearing; bitter acerb, acerbic, acrid, biting, caustic, corroding, cutting, destructive, erosive, incisive, sarcastic, strongly acid, trenchant, venomous, virulent, wasting; concept 537 Ant. contributing, fortifying, supporting …

    New thesaurus

  • 7corrosive — [kə rō′siv] adj. [OFr corrosif < ML corrosivus] 1. corroding or causing corrosion 2. bitingly sarcastic; cutting; acid n. something causing corrosion corrosively adv. corrosiveness n …

    English World dictionary

  • 8corrosive — adjective Date: 14th century 1. tending or having the power to corrode < corrosive acids > < corrosive action > < the corrosive effects of alcoholism > 2. bitingly sarcastic < corrosive satire > • corrosive …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 9corrosive — [[t]kəro͟ʊsɪv[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED A corrosive substance is able to destroy solid materials by a chemical reaction. Sodium and sulphur are highly corrosive. 2) ADJ GRADED If you say that something has a corrosive effect, you mean that it gradually&#8230; …

    English dictionary

  • 10corrosive — corrosively, adv. corrosiveness, corrosivity /kawr oh siv i tee, kor /, n. /keuh roh siv/, adj. 1. having the quality of corroding or eating away; erosive. 2. harmful or destructive; deleterious: the corrosive effect of poverty on their marriage …

    Universalium