fixative

[ fik-suh-tiv ]

adjective

1. serving to fix; making fixed fix or permanent.

noun

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.

fixative

/ ˈfɪksətɪv /

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

Other Words From

• un·fixa·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fixative¹

First recorded in 1635–45; fix + -ative

Example Sentences

Those prospective jurors who weren’t chosen to judge Trump spoke with reporters and told us of their fixative interest in seeing a man who causes visceral reactions, both good and bad, from so many people.

From Salon

Whale oil was in frenzied demand as fuel and lubricant, and ambergris, a byproduct of the animal’s digestive process, as a fixative for perfumes.

From New York Times

Two teeth showed evidence of sclareolide, a compound found in Salvia plants that has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is currently used as an aroma fixative in the perfume industry.

From Science Magazine

A plant called jara, cleared by farmers as a weed, was what scent makers call a “fixative,” used to slow the rate of evaporation.

From New York Times

The homework assignment for my digital photography class involved making a cyanotype, a 19th-century developing process that produces prints using sun and water as a fixative.

From New York Times