What does "mordant" mean?
Mordant: (Dyeing & Calico Printing) Serving to fix colors.
Additional senses
- 2.Any corroding substance used in etching.
- 3.(Dyeing & Calico Printing) Any substance, as alum or copperas, which, having a twofold attraction for organic fibers and coloring matter, serves as a bond of union, and thus gives fixity to, or bites in, the dyes.
- 4.(Gilding) Any sticky matter by which the gold leaf is made to adhere.
- 5.To subject to the action of, or imbue with, a mordant; as, to mordant goods for dyeing.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00