Adjacent Words

Astringent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ASTRING'ENT, a. Binding; contracting; strengthening; opposed to laxative.
ASTRING'ENT, n. a medicine which binds or contracts the parts of the body to which it is applied, restrains profuse discharges, coagulates animal fluids, condenses and strengthens the solids.
Modern practice inclines to the use of astringent, for internal applications, and styptic, for external.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: sour or bitter in taste [syn: acerb, acerbic, astringent]
2: tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue; "astringent cosmetic lotions" [ant: nonastringent] n
1: a drug that causes contraction of body tissues and canals [syn: astringent, astringent drug, styptic]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: probably from Middle French, from Latin astringent-, astringens, present participle of astringere to bind fast, from ad- + stringere to bind tight — more at strain Date: 1541 1. causing contraction of soft organic tissues ; styptic, puckery <astringent lotions> <an astringent fruit> 2. suggestive of an astringent effect upon tissue ; rigidly severe ; austere <dry astringent comments>; also pungent, caustic • astringently adverb II. noun Date: 1626 an astringent agent or substance

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 causing the contraction of body tissues. 2 checking bleeding. 3 severe, austere. --n. an astringent substance or drug. Derivatives: astringency n. astringently adv. Etymology: F f. L astringere (as AD-, stringere bind)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Astringent As*trin"gent (-jent), a. [L. astringens, p. pr. of astringere: cf. F. astringent. See Astringe.] 1. Drawing together the tissues; binding; contracting; -- opposed to laxative; as, astringent medicines; a butter and astringent taste; astringent fruit. 2. Stern; austere; as, an astringent type of virtue.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Astringent As*trin"gent, n. A medicine or other substance that produces contraction in the soft organic textures, and checks discharges of blood, mucus, etc. External astringents are called styptics. --Dunglison.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(astringents) An astringent is a liquid that you put on your skin to make it less oily or to make cuts stop bleeding. N-COUNT • Astringent is also an adjective. ...an astringent lotion. ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Binding, contracting, styptic.

Moby Thesaurus

Spartan, Spartanic, acerb, acerbic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, alum, amaroidal, ascetic, asperous, austere, authoritarian, biting, bitter, bitter as gall, brisk, caustic, clamp, coarse, collapsible, compactable, compressible, compressor, constrictor, constringent, consumptive, contractible, contractile, contractional, contractive, contractor, cutting, deflationary, demanding, double-edged, dour, edged, escharotic, exacting, exigent, fierce, foldable, grim, hard, harsh, incisive, inclement, irritating, keen, meticulous, mordacious, mordant, mortified, nose-tickling, penetrating, piercing, pincer, piquant, poignant, puckery, pungent, restorative, rigorous, roborant, rough, rugged, scathing, severe, sharp, sour, stabbing, stern, stinging, strict, strident, stringent, styptic, styptic pencil, tart, tough, trenchant, ungentle, unsparing, vehement, violent, virulent, vise, vitriolic