caustics

n. (Physics) A caustic curve formed by reflection of light. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. causticum (sc. medicamentum). See Caustic, a. ] 1. Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Optics) A caustic curve or caustic surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. caustucs, Ge. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to burn. Cf. Calm, Ink. ] 1. Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Severe; satirical; sharp; as, a caustic remark. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caustic curve (Optics), a curve to which the ray of light, reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane. --
Caustic lime. See under Lime. --
Caustic potash,
Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same. --
Caustic silver, nitrate of silver, lunar caustic. --
Caustic surface (Optics), a surface to which rays reflected or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic curves and surfaces are called catacaustic when formed by reflection, and diacaustic when formed by refraction.

Syn. -- Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a caustic manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being caustic; corrosiveness; as, the causticity of potash. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Severity of language; sarcasm; as, the causticity of a reply or remark. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being caustic; causticity. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. dia- + caustic. ] (Opt.) Pertaining to, or possessing the properties of, a species of caustic curves formed by refraction. See Caustic surface, under Caustic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Med.) That which burns by refraction, as a double convex lens, or the sun's rays concentrated by such a lens, sometimes used as a cautery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) A curved formed by the consecutive intersections of rays of light refracted through a lens.

a. [ L. encausticus, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to burn in; &unr_; in + &unr_; to burn: cf. F. encaustique. See Caustic, and cf. Ink. ] (Fine Arts) Prepared by means of heat; burned in. [ 1913 Webster ]

Encaustic painting (Fine Arts), painting by means of wax with which the colors are combined, and which is afterwards fused with hot irons, thus fixing the colors. --
Encaustic tile (Fine Arts), an earthenware tile which has a decorative pattern and is not wholly of one color. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. encaustica, Gr. &unr_; (sc. &unr_;): cf. F. encaustique. See Encaustic, a. ] The method of painting in heated wax, or in any way where heat is used to fix the colors. [ 1913 Webster ]