astringent.

1. Causing tissue to tighten, often producing a dry, puckering sensation in the mouth.

2. Sharp, severe, or briskly unsentimental in expression or manner.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• an astringent taste
• an astringent finish
• an astringent preparation

On the page

The tea left an astringent finish that made her reach for water.

He found the unripe fruit astringent rather than simply sour.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: Comparative more astringent; superlative most astringent. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.