Astringent - Wikipedia A crystal of the astringent alum The astringents and acids in fresh blackthorn berries (sloes) give the fruit its sourness An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues The word derives from the Latin adstringere, which means "to bind fast" Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by the tannins [1][2] in unripe fruits
astringe - Wiktionary, the free dictionary astringe (third-person singular simple present astringes, present participle astringing, simple past and past participle astringed) (transitive, obsolete) To constrict, to compress