astringent

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈstɹɪn.d͡ʒənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #66513

Meanings

1

adj
Causing a dry, puckering feeling in the mouth, as some unripe fruits do.

The unripe persimmon left an astringent taste on my tongue.
2

adj
Sharp and severe in tone or manner.

Her astringent comments left the new employee feeling deflated.
3

noun
A substance that tightens or constricts skin or body tissue.

She dabbed an astringent on her skin to tighten the pores.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a substance that tightens... styptic

Word family

Forms astringents

Simplified etymology

Astringent entered English in the mid-16th century as a variant of stringent. Both trace to Latin constringere, in the family of stringere, “to tighten or draw tight.”

Etymology

From Latin adstringere (“to bind fast”), from ad (“toward”) + stringere (“bind, pull tight”). Compare stringent.

*streyg- Proto-Indo-European adstringere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# astringent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈstɹɪn.d͡ʒənt/
**Frequency rank:** 66513

## Meanings
1. Causing a dry, puckering feeling in the mouth, as some unripe fruits do.
2. Sharp and severe in tone or manner.
3. A substance that tightens or constricts skin or body tissue.

## Examples
- The unripe persimmon left an astringent taste on my tongue.
- Her astringent comments left the new employee feeling deflated.
- She dabbed an astringent on her skin to tighten the pores.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *streyg-
- Root: adstringere

## Etymology
From Latin adstringere (“to bind fast”), from ad (“toward”) + stringere (“bind, pull tight”). Compare stringent.

## AI Etymology
Astringent is from Latin adstringere (“to bind fast”), from ad (“toward”) + stringere (“bind, pull tight”). Compare stringent. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *streyg- (Proto-Indo-European) and adstringere (Latin). Current senses include causing a dry, puckering feeling in the mouth, as some unripe fruits do, sharp and severe in tone or manner, and a substance that tightens or constricts skin or body tissue.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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