caustic
part of speech
adjective (caustic; more caustic, most caustic)
meaning for a pupil
1) Able to burn or eat away skin and other materials by a chemical action, as in «caustic soda». tree →
2) Cruel and sharp in a clever, sarcastic way, as in «a caustic remark». tree →
sense in the lessons
In science and safety lessons, caustic chemicals such as drain cleaner, oven cleaner and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) are strong alkalis that burn skin and eyes: never touch them, keep them locked away, and read hazard labels. In stories, a caustic comment tells the reader that a character is being bitingly unkind.
examples
- Caustic soda can burn your skin. tree →
- The drain cleaner bottle had a caustic warning sign. tree →
- Wear gloves and goggles with caustic chemicals. tree →
- She made a caustic remark about his drawing. tree →
- The critic wrote a caustic review of the film. tree →
- Keep caustic cleaners out of children's reach. tree →
- His caustic jokes hurt people's feelings. tree →
note
Adjective. Said «KAWS-tik». Science note: caustic usually means a strong alkali (base), not an acid, but both can burn. If a caustic chemical gets on skin, rinse with lots of water and get an adult or call for help.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «caustic» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.