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# The BFD Word of the Day
- URL: https://goodoil.news/the-bfd-word-of-the-day-1376/
- Published: 2023-11-05T17:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2023-08-30T18:21:34.000Z
- Author: David Theobald
- Tags: General, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-16 22:07

The word for today is…

caustic (adjective, noun):

*adjective*  
1: capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive  
2: marked by incisive sarcasm  
3: relating to or being the surface or curve of a caustic

*noun*  
1: a caustic agent: such as  
a: a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical action  
b: a strong corrosive alkali (such as sodium hydroxide)  
2: the envelope of rays emanating from a point and reflected or refracted by a curved surface

Source : [Merriam -Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caustic?ref=goodoil.news)

Etymology : If you have a burning desire to know the origins of caustic, you’re already well on your way to figuring it out. Caustic was formed in Middle English as an adjective describing chemical substances, such as lime and lye, that are capable of destroying or eating away at something. The word is based on the Latin adjective causticus, which itself comes ultimately from the Greek verb kaiein, meaning “to burn.” In time, caustic was baked into the English language as an adjective describing people or things (such as wit or remarks) that are bitingly sarcastic. Other kaiein descendants in English include cautery and cauterize, causalgia (a burning pain caused by nerve damage), and encaustic (a kind of paint that is heated after it’s applied).

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