Astringent
/əˈstrɪn.dʒənt/noun
Causing the tissues to contract or pucker; also, harsh or severe in manner or taste.
Did you know?Astringent comes from Latin *adstringere*, “to bind tightly,” from *ad-* “to” + *stringere* “to draw tight,” the same ancient root behind words like *string* and *strict*—language that still carries the feeling of something pulled taut.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*strengʰ-
“to draw tight, make firm”
Latin
Latin
stringere
“to draw tight, bind, compress”
Classical Latin
Latin
adstringere
“to bind fast, tighten”
Old French
Old French
astringent
“binding, tightening; also medically a substance that causes contraction”
Late Middle English
English
astringent
“causing contraction or tightening”