mordant \MOR-dunt\ adjective
*1 : biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : incisive
2 : burning, pungent
Example sentence: As the guest of honor at the charity roast, Jacob good-naturedly received the mordant remarks directed at him by his friends, family, and colleagues.
Did you know? The etymology of "mordant" certainly has some bite to it. That word, which came to modern English through Middle French, ultimately derives from the Latin verb "mordere," which means "to bite." In modern parlance, "mordant" usually suggests a wit used with deadly effectiveness. "Mordere" puts the bite into other English terms, too. For instance, that root gave us the tasty "morsel" ("a tiny bite"). But nibble too many of those and you'll likely be hit by another "mordere" derivative: "remorse" ("guilt for past wrongs"), which comes from Latin "remordere," meaning "to bite again."
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