Word of the Day - astringent

astringent

/əˈstrɪn(d)ʒ(ə)nt/
adjective
1 Causing the contraction of skin cells and other body tissues.
2 (of taste or smell) slightly acidic or bitter.
3 Sharp or severe in manner or style.
noun
An astringent lotion applied to the skin to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions or as a cosmetic to make the skin less oily.

Origin
Mid 16th century from French, from Latin astringent- ‘pulling tight’, from
the verb astringere, from ad- ‘towards’ + stringere ‘bind, pull tight’.

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Stringent rules of the WotD topic shrink our options to new words only. We are not astringent in our adherence to the rule, but we are not lax in its application in spite of our contracted skin.