mordacious \mawr-DEY-shuhs\,
adjective:
1. sharp or caustic in style, tone, etc.
2. biting or given to biting.
She was hoping that neither Garth nor Otto would bungle and embarrass her and that we wouldn't be the brunt of some mordacious Page Six gossip column for arriving in an old car.
-- Brian M. Wiprud, "Pipsqueak," 2004
Emma had almost made it into the safety of the kitchen when out of the dark, and away from the masses, Patrick appeared. "Well, well, well." His tone was mordacious.
-- Jane Sigaloff, "Technical Hitch," 2005
Mordacious came into English in the 1640s from the Latin word mordāx meaning "given to biting."
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