Part 1721

<h1>Caustic, Caustical</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw><hw>Caus"tic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Caus"tic*al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>caustucs</ets>, Ge. <?/, fr. <?/ to burn. Cf. <er>Calm</er>, <er>Ink</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Severe; satirical; sharp; <as>as, a <ex>caustic</ex> remark</as>.</def>

<cs><col>Caustic curve</col> <fld>(Optics)</fld>, <cd>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.</cd> -- <col>Caustic lime</col>. <cd>See under <er>Lime</er>.</cd> -- <mcol><col>Caustic potash</col>, <col>Caustic soda</col></mcol> <fld>(Chem.)</fld>, <cd>the solid hydroxides potash, <chform>KOH</chform>, and soda, <chform>NaOH</chform>, or solutions of the same.</cd> -- <col>Caustic silver</col>, <cd>nitrate of silver, lunar caustic.</cd> -- <col>Caustic surface</col> <fld>(Optics)</fld>, <cd>a surface to which rays reflected or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic curves and surfaces are called <i>catacaustic<i> when formed by reflection, and <i>diacaustic<i> when formed by refraction.</cd></cs>

<syn>Syn. -- Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching.</syn>

<h1>Caustic</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Cau"stic</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>causticum</ets> (sc. <ets>medicamentum</ets>). See <er>Caustic</er>, <tt>a.</tt>]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Optics)</fld> <def>A caustic curve or caustic surface.</def>

<h1>Caustically</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Caus"tic*al*ly</hw>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>In a caustic manner.</def>

<h1>Causticily</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Caus*tic"i*ly</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The quality of being caustic; corrosiveness; <as>as, the <ex>causticity</ex> of potash</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Severity of language; sarcasm; <as>as, the <ex>causticity</ex> of a reply or remark</as>.</def>

<h1>Causticness</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Caus"tic*ness</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The quality of being caustic; causticity.</def>

<h1>Cautel</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Cau"tel</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>caut\'8ale</ets>, L. <ets>cautela</ets>, fr. <ets>cavere</ets> to be on one's guard, to take care.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Caution; prudence; wariness.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Fulke.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Craft; deceit; falseness.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Cautelous</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Cau"te*lous</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>cauteleux</ets>, LL. <ets>cautelosus</ets>. See <er>Cautel</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Caution; prudent; wary.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark> "<i>Cautelous</i>, though young."

<i>Drayton.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Crafty; deceitful; false.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Shak.</i>

-- <wordforms><wf>Cau"te*lous*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>Cau"te*lous*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt> <mark>[Obs.]</mark></wordforms>

<h1>Cauter</h1> <Xpage=229>

<hw>Cau"ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>caut\'8are</ets>, L. <ets>cauterium</ets>, fr. Gr. <?/ a branding iron, fr. <?/ to burn. Cf. <er>Caustic</er>, <er>Cautery</er>.]</ety> <def>A hot iron for searing or cauterizing.</def>