'Caustic curve' definitions:

Definition of 'Caustic curve'

From: GCIDE
  • Caustic \Caus"tic\, Caustical \Caus"tic*al\, a. [L. caustucs, Ge. ?, fr. ? to burn. Cf. Calm, Ink.]
  • 1. Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Severe; satirical; sharp; as, a caustic remark. [1913 Webster]
  • Caustic curve (Optics), a curve to which the ray of light, reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane.
  • Caustic lime. See under Lime.
  • Caustic potash, Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same.
  • Caustic silver, nitrate of silver, lunar caustic.
  • Caustic surface (Optics), a surface to which rays reflected or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic curves and surfaces are called catacaustic when formed by reflection, and diacaustic when formed by refraction.
  • Syn: Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching. [1913 Webster]