Forms: 5–6 stipticite, (6 styp-), 6–7 stipticitie, 7–8 -ty, 7 stypticitie, 7– stypticity. [ad. med.L. stypticitās, f. styptic-us STYPTIC a. Cf. F. stypticité (14th c. in Littré).]
1. Styptic quality; astringency.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 98. Þe sensibilyte of þe tonge ys by way of tastynge & sauour, And þarof er ix maneres; Swetnesse, bitternesse,… ponticite, stipticite, [etc.].
1527. Andrew, Brunswyke’s Distyll. Waters, O j. Dronke of the same water [of crab-apples] stoppeth the laske with his styptycite.
1575. J. Banister, Treat. Chyrurg., 134 b. Consolidatiua. By their stipticitie and drying they haue power to skinne and heale, equally incarnating fleshe and skinne.
1666. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., 218. Qualities … such as are Properties peculiar to it [Vitriol], as Greenness, easiness of Fusion, Stypticity of Tast.
1702. Floyer, Cold Bathing, I. 22. Marle-Waters taste smooth, and have a little Stipticity.
1772. Phil. Trans., LXII. 462. The spring possesses some slight degree of stypticity, by means of a chalybeate impregnation.
1834. T. J. Graham, Dom. Med. (1844), 181. The gentle stypticity, or astringency in genuine claret, renders it … the most wholesome of any strong liquor.
† 2. Costiveness (of the stomach or bowels). Obs.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, viii. 190. If it [the stomach] be subiect to laxitie, then a lesse portion of drinke; if to stypticitie, then a greater is to be assumed.
