mordant

刺すような、辛辣な、(痛みが)激しい、(化学)酸が)腐食性のある

(adjective) Bitingly sarcastic: mordant satire.
(adjective) Incisive and trenchant: an inquisitor's mordant questioning.
(adjective) Bitingly painful.
(adjective) Serving to fix colors in dyeing.
(noun) A reagent, such as tannic acid, that fixes dyes to cells, tissues, or textiles or other materials.

In the case of Cornelis Drebbel, who invented a bright red dye color by mixing cochineal with a tin mordant, we cannot prove that the inspiration for the invention was directly related to this production method for gold purples, but, even if the connection is only circumstantial, it is a circumstance we cannot completely ignore.