mordacity

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Latin mordacitas. Compare French mordacité. See mordacious.

Noun

[edit]

mordacity (usually uncountable, plural mordacities)

  1. The quality of being mordacious; biting severity, or sarcastic quality.
    • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. [], London: [] William Rawley []; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee [], →OCLC:
      such things as have very thin parts , yet notwithstanding are without all acrirumony or mordacity