caustic curve

1 definition found

caustic curve - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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]