fixative








adjective

  1. serving to fix; making fixed or permanent.

noun Also fix·a·tif [fik-suh-tiv, -teef] /ˈfɪk sə tɪv, -ˌtif/.

  1. a fixative substance, as a gummy liquid sprayed on a drawing to prevent blurring, or a solution for killing, hardening, and preserving material for microscopic study.
  2. Also called fixer. Photography. a chemical substance, as sodium thiosulfate, used to promote fixation.
  3. a substance that retards evaporation, as in the manufacture of perfume.

adjective

  1. serving or tending to fix

noun

  1. a fluid usually consisting of a transparent resin, such as shellac, dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over drawings to prevent smudging
  2. cytology a fluid, such as formaldehyde or ethanol, that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study
  3. a substance added to a liquid, such as a perfume, to make it less volatile
adj.

1640s, from fix (v.) + -ative, suffix meaning “of or related to; tending to.” As a noun, from 1870.

adj.

  1. Serving to fix, bind, or make firm or stable.

n.

  1. A substance used for the preservation of tissue or cell specimens.
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