Definition:
: a keen or bitter taunt : a cutting gibe or rebuke often delivered in a tone of contempt or disgust
About the Word:
Sarcasm, that verbal flourish beloved by supercilious people the world over, has the sort of origin that makes other words jealous. It is descended ultimately from the ancient Greek word sarkazein, which means 'to tear flesh like dogs' (or also 'to bite the lips in rage' or 'to speak bitterly').
Example:
"However much her character and mode of life might be reprobated, few were willing to offend her by their expostulations or remarks; and she attained a sort of ascendancy, which the fear of her sarcasm and her crutch alike combined in enabling her to maintain." — James Peterson (Editor), The Contemporaries of Burns, 1840
— Ammon Shea
