3 meanings
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1 —as in:
treat with an astringent
Definition
a drug that causes contraction of body tissues — especially topically- I use an astringent where my skin is oily.
astringent = a drug that causes contraction of body tissues — especially topically
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- ...cold, salty water is Mother Nature's best astringent.Kathy Howard
- astringent cosmetic lotions
- The extreme sharpness of the air acted on his nerves like an astringent, and braced them swiftly.Stevenson, Robert Louis -- Tales and Fantasies
- He smelled astringents, strange chemicals.Dan Brown -- Angels & Demons
astringent = a drug that causes contraction of body tissues — especially topically
astringent = a drug that causes contraction of body tissues — especially topically
astringent = a drug that causes contraction of body tissues — especially topically
2 —as in:
astringent taste
Definition
similar to a sour or bitter taste (creating a dry, puckering feel in the mouth)- The apple wasn't ripe, so it had a drying, puckering, or astringent taste.
astringent = similar to a sour or bitter taste (creating a dry, puckering feel in the mouth)
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- In the upper region they live chiefly on the acid and astringent berries of the guayavita...Charles Darwin -- The Voyage of the Beagle
- Liquid splatters my skin, and the astringent smell of alcohol makes my nostrils flare.Lauren Oliver -- Delirium
- Mayonnaise, for example, is supposed to be evaluated along six dimensions of appearance (color, color intensity, chroma, shine, lumpiness, and bubbles), ten dimensions of texture (adhesiveness to lips, firmness, denseness, and so on), and fourteen dimensions of flavor, split among three subgroups—aromatics (eggy, mustardy, and so forth); basic tastes (salty, sour, and sweet); and chemical-feeling factors (burn, pungent, astringent).Malcolm Gladwell -- Blink
astringent = similar to a sour or bitter taste (creating a dry, puckering feel in the mouth)
astringent = sharp or bitter
astringent = similar to a sour or bitter taste (creating a dry, puckering feel in the mouth)
3 —as in:
astringent remarks
Definition
harsh or hurtful- The book contains some of her most astringent remarks.
astringent = harsh or hurtful
- Martin remembered how often, how astringently, Gottlieb had sneered at "dese merry vedding or jail bells."Sinclair Lewis -- Arrowsmith