ABRASIVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does abrasive mean? 

• ABRASIVE (noun)
  The noun ABRASIVE has 1 sense:

1. a substance that abrades or wears down

  Familiarity information: ABRASIVE used as a noun is very rare.

• ABRASIVE (adjective)
  The adjective ABRASIVE has 2 senses:

1. causing abrasion

2. sharply disagreeable; rigorous

  Familiarity information: ABRASIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABRASIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A substance that abrades or wears down

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

abradant; abrasive; abrasive material

Hypernyms ("abrasive" is a kind of...):

material; stuff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "abrasive"):

carborundum (an abrasive composed of silicon carbide crystals)

steel wool; wire wool (a mass of woven steel fibers used as an abrasive)

emery cloth (cloth covered with powdered emery)

emery paper; sandpaper (stiff paper coated with powdered emery or sand)

Derivation:

abrasive (causing abrasion)

• ABRASIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Causing abrasion

Synonyms:

abrasive; scratchy

Similar:

rough; unsmooth (having or caused by an irregular surface)

Derivation:

abrade (rub hard or scrub)

abrade (wear away)

abrasive (a substance that abrades or wears down)

abrasiveness (the roughness of a substance that causes abrasions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Sharply disagreeable; rigorous

Synonyms:

abrasive; harsh

Context example:

an abrasive character

Similar:

disagreeable (not to your liking)

Derivation:

abrasiveness (the quality of being sharply disagreeable)

 Context examples 

A paste of mild abrasives, detergents, flavoring agents, binders, fluoride, and other active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Dentifrice Paste Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A powder composed of a mild abrasives, detergents, flavoring agents, binders, fluoride, and other active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Dentifrice Powder Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A method of roughening the surface of a natural tooth or a dental restoration, most likely the inside of a metal crown or the facial side of a metal crown to prepare it for repair, utilizing a gas-impelled jet of a fine abrasive.

(Microetching, NCI Thesaurus)