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Deleterious vs Caustic - What's the difference?

deleterious | caustic |

As adjectives the difference between deleterious and caustic

is that deleterious is harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way (as for example deleterious effects, deleterious to health) while caustic is capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue.

As a noun caustic is

any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.

deleterious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way (as for example deleterious'' effects, ''deleterious to health).
  • * 1850 , :
    • Or might it suffice him, that every wholesome growth should be converted into something deleterious and malignant at his touch?

    Synonyms

    * (harmful) destructive, harmful, hurtful, injurious, noxious, pernicious; see also

    Derived terms

    * deleteriously

    Related terms

    * delete * deletion * deletory

    External links

    *

    caustic

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue.
  • Sharp, bitter, cutting, biting, and sarcastic in a scathing way.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;

    Synonyms

    * (capable of destroying tissue ): acidic, biting, burning, corrosive, searing * (severe, sharp ): bitchy, biting, catty, mordacious, nasty, sarcastic, scathing, sharp, spiteful

    Quotations

    * 1843': "How now!" said Scrooge, '''caustic and cold as ever. — Charles Dickens, ''A Christmas Carol * 1843': The bargain was not concluded as easily as might have been expected though, for Scadder was '''caustic and ill-humoured, and cast much unnecessary opposition in the way — Charles Dickens, ''Martin Chuzzlewit * 1853': Madame Beck esteemed me learned and blue; Miss Fanshawe, '''caustic , ironic, and cynical — Charlotte Bronte, ''Villette * 1857':The Secretary and the Assistant-Secretaries would say little '''caustic things about him to the senior clerks, and seemed somewhat to begrudge him his new honours. — Anthony Trollope, ''The Three Clerks * 1886': this set of worthies, who were only too prone to shut up their emotions with '''caustic words. — Thomas Hardy, ''The Mayor of Casterbridge * 1930s???': though he came too late / To join the martyrs, there was still a place / Among the tempters for a ' caustic tongue / / To test the resolution of the young / With tales of the small failings of the great — W.H.Auden, 'The Quest'

    Derived terms

    * caustic curve * caustic potash * caustic soda * caustic surface

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.
  • (optics, computer graphics) The envelope of reflected or refracted rays of light for a given surface or object.
  • (mathematics) The envelope of reflected or refracted rays for a given curve.
  • (informal, chemistry) caustic soda

    • Derived terms

    * lunar caustic