Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Given to biting; biting.
  • adjective Caustic; sarcastic.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Biting; given to biting.
  • Acrid; violent in action.
  • Sarcastic.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Biting; given to biting; hence, figuratively, sarcastic; severe; scathing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Biting, causing a physical bite or sting; corrosive
  • adjective sharp or caustic in style or tone.
  • adjective Prone to biting, aggressive (of an animal etc.).
  • adjective Sharp in intent, sarcastic

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective capable of wounding
  • adjective biting or given to biting

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin mordāx, mordāc- (from mordēre, to bite; see mer- in Indo-European roots) + –ious.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin mordax ("given to biting, corrosive") (from mordere ("to bite, sting")) + -ious.

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Examples

  • "You must forgive the Maestra for her characteristic mordacious tone, Consejal Pejeno," Betina du Zabala of the Gremio Poetica said, smiling oddly at her great rival.

    Archive 2004-01-01 Dean Francis Alfar 2004

  • "You must forgive the Maestra for her characteristic mordacious tone, Consejal Pejeno," Betina du Zabala of the Gremio Poetica said, smiling oddly at her great rival.

    notes from the peanut gallery Dean Francis Alfar 2004

  • But with one great and splendid virtue was he endowed in the eyes of the enemies of the House of Borgia -- contemporary, and subsequent down to our times -- a most profound, unchristian, and mordacious hatred of all

    The Life of Cesare Borgia Rafael Sabatini 1912

  • Calvinist, vented in his writings a mordacious hatred of the Papacy and of the religion from which he had seceded.

    The Life of Cesare Borgia Rafael Sabatini 1912

  • Hard, mordacious, no man's friend ... that was the

    Wolf Breed Jackson Gregory 1912

  • But with one great and splendid virtue was he endowed in the eyes of the enemies of the House of Borgia -- contemporary, and subsequent down to our times -- a most profound, unchristian, and mordacious hatred of all Borgias.

    The Life of Cesare Borgia Sabatini, Rafael, 1875-1950 1912

  • This Tommaso Tommasi, whose real name was Gregorio Leti -- and it is under this that such works of his as are reprinted are published nowadays -- was a most prolific author of the seventeenth century, who, having turned Calvinist, vented in his writings a mordacious hatred of the Papacy and of the religion from which he had seceded.

    The Life of Cesare Borgia Sabatini, Rafael, 1875-1950 1912

  • Unable longer to endure the lash of his mordacious wit, Shaynon turned and left them alone on the balcony.

    The Day of Days An Extravaganza Louis Joseph Vance 1906

  • his name is elijah sandalphon. i'm mordacious schadenfreude. we are going to wrestle. cage match.

    mordicai: crown me king! mordicai 2003

Comments

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  • Romanians mostly are gracious,

    With smiles on their welcoming faces,

    But should it transpire

    You've met a vampire

    Then count on him turning mordacious.

    May 10, 2017