astringency
(əˈstrɪndʒənsɪ)
Also 7 adstr-.
[f. astringent: see -ency.]
1. Astringent quality.
| 1601 Holland Pliny II. 510 Astringencie of Vitrioll. 1743 tr. Heister's Surg. 46 Caustic Medicines, which act by their great astringency. 1881 A. Griffith in Sci. Gossip No. 203. 249 The astringency of tea is due to the tannin present. |
† 2. Astriction, astricted state. Obs.
| 1669 W. Simpson Hydrol. Chym. 344 [It] gives a gentle astringency to the Membranous Parts. |
3. fig. Harshness, sternness, austerity.
| 1823 Galt Entail II. xix. 179 The doubtful credit of any wiser person might produce the same astringency. 1865 Draper Int. Devel. Europe xxi. 504 The lank-haired Puritan..his face corrugated with religious astringency. |