mordant
/ˈmɔːdnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɔːrdnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmȯr-dᵊnt/ (ame, mw)
mordant — adjective
- mordantpositive
- more mordantcomparative
- most mordantsuperlative
1. sharply funny in a cruel or critical way; using clever words that wound while ma
sharply funny in a cruel or critical way; using clever words that wound while making people laugh.
Felipe is known on Twitter for his mordant comments on Brazilian politics.
mordant + noun (comments) describing harsh witty remarks
The novelist's mordant wit makes even her sweetest characters seem dangerous.
collocation: mordant wit
Yuki listened to the comedian's mordant humour with a slightly uncomfortable smile.
Behind a polite tone, the review delivered mordant criticism of the new museum.
Talia's mordant remark about the boss spread quickly through the office.
- gentle
kind and soft rather than cutting
- good-natured
humour without any sting
文法句型
mordant + noun (wit, humour, comment)
用法筆記
Almost always attributive, sitting before a noun like wit, humour, comment, satire, or criticism. The humour must hurt as well as amuse — a friendly or gentle joke is never mordant.
常見錯誤
mordant — noun
1. a chemical, often a metal salt, that workers put on cloth or wool so that the co
a chemical, often a metal salt, that workers put on cloth or wool so that the colour from a dye will hold and not wash away.
The workshop uses alum as a mordant before dipping the wool into the dye bath.
use [chemical] as a mordant — common phrasing
Without a mordant, the silk scarves slowly lost their bright red colour after each wash.
without a mordant + [consequence]
Omar's grandmother soaked the cotton in a mordant of iron salts before the indigo bath.
Some natural mordants, such as tannin from oak bark, are still preferred by craft dyers.
文法句型
use/apply (a) mordant
treat [fabric] with (a) mordant
用法筆記
Mostly used in textile-craft and chemistry contexts; learners are far more likely to meet the adjective sense in everyday reading. Subject is often a dyer or workshop; common verbs are use, apply, soak in, treat with.
常見錯誤
2. in printmaking, an acid or other strong chemical that eats into a metal plate to
in printmaking, an acid or other strong chemical that eats into a metal plate to leave a pattern that can later hold ink.
The printmaker lowered the copper plate into the mordant for about ten minutes.
lower [plate] into the mordant — etching workflow
Christopher prefers a weak mordant because it bites the lines more slowly and evenly.
weak / strong mordant + [behaviour]
Older recipes for the mordant in etching often used a mix of nitric acid and water.
After the mordant had done its work, Ayana rinsed the zinc plate under cold water.
- etchant
more technical print-shop term for the same liquid
- etching acid
plain description used in art-school manuals
文法句型
use (a) mordant to etch [plate]
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1: this mordant destroys material rather than fixing colour. Subject is usually a printmaker, artist, or workshop; the typical verbs are bite, eat, etch, dip in.
mordant — verb
- mordantpresent simple I / you / we / they
- mordants3rd person singular
- mordanting-ing form
- mordantedpast simple
1. to soak cloth, wool, or paper in a mordant chemical so that a later dye will sti
to soak cloth, wool, or paper in a mordant chemical so that a later dye will stick to it and stay bright.
The dyers mordant the wool in alum for an hour before adding any colour.
mordant [fabric] in [chemical] for [time]
Ezra learned to mordant raw silk with iron salts during the summer workshop.
mordant [fabric] with [chemical]
If you mordant the cotton properly, the natural dye will last for many washes.
Vivek was taught to mordant the cloth twice when working with deep blues.
- pre-treat
plain craft-manual phrasing; broader, covers any preparation step
文法句型
mordant + [fabric/material]
mordant [fabric] with [chemical]
用法筆記
Object is usually the fabric or fibre, not the dye. Almost only used inside craft and textile-chemistry writing; speakers normally prefer the phrase 'treat with a mordant'.