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styptic

styptic

9.9
A substance that stops bleeding on small cuts by making small blood vessels close
  • noun
  • /ˈstɪptɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : estíptico
  • He used a styptic powder to quickly control the bleeding from his shaving accident.

Examples

  • (He gave her unguents and a kind of styptic that burned but must coat the raw skin each day until new skin came) and wrap his hands and arms in fresh bandages?

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Concerning treatment, a poultice of figs and boiled onions mixed and simmered with fresh butter ripens styptic buboes.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • They were trying to get the styptic effect out of mescaline blood coagulation to stop bleeding.

  • Vick's VapoRub, shaving cream, styptic pencil, mouthwash, an empty box of sinus relief tablets, and a lone penicillin capsule that had expired in July 1983.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The nurse applied a styptic to the patient's cut to stop the bleeding.

  • In a first aid kit, you should always have a styptic to treat minor wounds.

Synonyms

astringent
vsstyptic
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A substance that tightens skin and stops small bleeding

is used to stop bleeding by causing tissue or vessel contraction
astringent drug
vsstyptic
  • Specialized
6.9

A medicine that makes body tissues tighten to reduce bleeding or discharge

focuses specifically on stopping bleeding rather than reducing discharge
vasoconstrictive
vsstyptic
  • Specialized
8.8

A substance that makes blood vessels narrower and raises blood pressure

acts on tissues or vessels to stop bleeding rather than mainly raising pressure

Compounds

styptic weed
  • Specialized
9.9

A leafy tropical shrub with a strong smell whose seeds are sometimes mixed with coffee

How Effective

hemostatic
  • Specialized
1 7.9
styptic
  • Specialized
9.9
astringent
  • Specialized
1 8.1

Surface Forms

styptic singular
styptics plural

Morphology

styptic = stypt + ic

Formed from a learned combining form (stypt-) + the suffix '-ic'; the root is not a productive English word and learners cannot infer 'stops bleeding' from the components.

Etymology

The word styptic comes from an old Greek root stypt- that means 'to press together' or 'to tighten', which you can think of like the English word 'press'. A styptic is a thing that makes skin and small blood vessels tighten to stop bleeding, so the origin explains its use.