caus·tic 
(kôstĭk)
(kôstĭk)adj.
1. Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action.
2. Sarcastic or cutting; biting: "The caustic jokes ... deal with such diverse matters as political assassination, talk-show hosts, medical ethics" (Frank Rich).
3. Given to making caustic remarks: a caustic TV commentator.
n.
1. A caustic material or substance.
2. A hydroxide of a light metal.
3. The enveloping surface formed by light rays reflecting or refracting from a curved surface, especially one with spherical aberration.
[Middle English caustik, from Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos, from kaiein, kau-, to burn.]
causti·cal·ly adv.
caus·tici·ty (kô-stĭsĭ-tē) n.
- petro-
- petrochemical
- petrochemistry
- petrodollars
- petrogenesis
- petrogenetic
- petroglyph
- petroglyphic
- Petrograd
- petrographer
- petrographic
- petrographical
- petrographically
- petrography
- petrol
- petrolatum
- petroleum
- petroleum coke
- petroleum ether
- petroleum jelly
- petrolic
- petrologic
- petrological
- petrologically
- petrologist