<p><strong>Adjective:</strong></p><ul><li>Medicine/Medical: Contracting; constrictive; styptic.</li><li>Harshly biting; caustic: his astringent criticism.</li><li>Synonyms: rigorous, harsh, sharp.</li><li>Stern or severe; austere.</li><li>Synonyms: rigorous, harsh, sharp.</li><li>Sharply incisive; pungent: astringent wit.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun (Medicine/Medical):</strong></p><ul><li>A substance that contracts the tissues or canals of the body, thereby diminishing discharges, as of mucus or blood.</li><li>A cosmetic that cleans the skin and constricts the pores.</li></ul>