Definition of "fixative" [fix•a•tive]

• Something that fixes, protects, or preserves, especially: (noun)
• A liquid preservative applied to artwork, such as watercolor paintings or charcoal drawings. (noun)
• A solution used to preserve and harden fresh tissue for microscopic examination. (noun)
• A liquid mixed with perfume to prevent rapid evaporation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Patchouli is what is known as a fixative in perfumery."
• "That said, there are certain things that families can do to mitigate the potential downside of vaccinations and one thing is to request of their pediatricians that the MMR vaccination be given without thimersol as the fixative, which is a mercury-based fixative."
• "Broken bottles of paint and fixative gave the air an acrid odor."