Site Map | FAQ

• Editor's Favorites
  • Black History Month
  • 2010 Winter Olympics
  • Valentine's Day
  • Profile of Haiti
  • 2010 Calendar
  • Holidays in America
  • Most Populous Countries
  • H1N1 Overview
  • Countries of the World
  • Top 50 U.S. Cities
  • Color Psychology
  • Most Popular Names
  • The Fifty States

Dictionary

as•trin•gent

Pronunciation: (u-strin'junt), [key]
—adj.
1. Med.contracting; constrictive; styptic.
2. harshly biting; caustic: his astringent criticism.
3. stern or severe; austere.
4. sharply incisive; pungent: astringent wit.

—n.
1. Med.a substance that contracts the tissues or canals of the body, thereby diminishing discharges, as of mucus or blood.
2. a cosmetic that cleans the skin and constricts the pores.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

astringe

astringer

• • Cite
  • Print
  • Email
  • Bookmark
    • Add bookmark
    • Add to del.icio.us
    • Digg It!
    • Add to Reddit

Related Content Daily Word Quiz: hubris Analogy of the Day: Today's Analogy Spelling Bee: Today's Spelling Bee Kids' Word Quiz: exemplary Crossword: Crossword Puzzle Guide Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language

Find definitions for: