astringent
adjective /əˈstrɪndʒənt/
/əˈstrɪndʒənt/
- (specialist) (of a liquid or cream) causing skin cells and other body tissues to become tighter
- Use an astringent lotion if you have oily skin.
- to have an astringent effect
- (formal) critical in a severe or clever way
- astringent writers/comments
- (formal) (of a taste or smell) slightly bitter but fresh
- the astringent taste of lemon juice
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French, from Latin astringent- ‘pulling tight’, from the verb astringere, from ad- ‘towards’ + stringere ‘bind, pull tight’.