Meanings
comparative more mordant · superlative most mordant
plural mordants
- countableuncountableAny substance used to facilitate the fixing of a dye to a fibre; usually a metallic compound which reacts with the dye using chelation.
In dyeing two mediums are required, the colouring matter and the mordant which fixes the dye in the wool.
1964, L.F. Salzman, English Industries of the Middle Ages, page 208
present singular third person mordants · participle present mordanting · participle past mordanted · past mordanted
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny corrosive substance used in etching.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveof a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian язвителен, байц
- язвителен (jazvitelen)biting or caustic
- байц (bajc)a substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- байцвам (bajcvam)to subject to a mordant
Catalan mordent, mordentar
- mordenta substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- mordentarto subject to a mordant
Finnish pureva, julma
- purevabiting or caustic
- julmabiting or caustic
- pisteliäsbiting or caustic
- puretina substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- purettaato subject to a mordant
French mordant, mordant
- mordantbiting or caustic
- mordanta substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- mordancerto subject to a mordant
- amordancerto subject to a mordant
German beißend, bissig
- beißendbiting or caustic
- bissigbiting or caustic
- sarkastischbiting or caustic
- Beizea substance used to facilitate dye fixing
Greek δηκτικός, καυστικός
- δηκτικός (diktikós)biting or caustic
- καυστικός (kafstikós)biting or caustic
Italian mordente, caustico
- mordentebiting or caustic
- causticobiting or caustic
- sarcasticobiting or caustic
- mordacebiting or caustic
- mordentea substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- mordenzareto subject to a mordant
Korean 신랄한, 매염제
- 신랄한 (sillalhan)biting or caustic
- 매염제 (maeyeomje)a substance used to facilitate dye fixing
Māori waitumu, tūmau kano
- waitumua substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- tūmau kanoa substance used to facilitate dye fixing
Polish żrący, zaprawa farbiarska
- żrącybiting or caustic
- zaprawa farbiarskaa substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- zaprawa barwierskaa substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- używać zaprawy farbiarskiejto subject to a mordant
- użyć zaprawy farbiarskiejto subject to a mordant
Spanish mordaz, mordiente
- mordazbiting or caustic
- mordientea substance used to facilitate dye fixing
- mordaza substance used to facilitate dye fixing
Welsh brathog, deifiol
- brathogbiting or caustic
- deifiolbiting or caustic
- brathliwto subject to a mordant
- mordantto subject to a mordant
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with mordant
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
mordant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mordant
“mordant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mordant. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mordant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mordant.
Source: mordant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.