Causticity
/kɔːˈstɪs.ɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being able to burn, corrode, or sting sharply; also, biting harshness in speech or wit.
Did you know?Its root traces back to Greek words for “burnt” and “to burn,” which is why chemistry still uses caustic for substances that can scorch flesh or dissolve matter.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kau-
“to burn, heat”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kaustikós
“burning, corrosive”
Latin
Latin
causticus
“burning, caustic”
Middle French
Old French
caustique
“caustic, corrosive”
16th Century
English
caustic
“burning, corrosive; biting in speech”
17th Century
English
causticity
“the quality of being caustic or corrosive”