pungency

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

pungency
    n 1: wit having a sharp and caustic quality; "he commented with
         typical pungency"; "the bite of satire" [syn: {pungency},
         {bite}]
    2: a strong odor or taste property; "the pungency of mustard";
       "the sulfurous bite of garlic"; "the sharpness of strange
       spices"; "the raciness of the wine" [syn: {pungency}, {bite},
       {sharpness}, {raciness}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Pungency \Pun"gen*cy\, n.
   The quality or state of being pungent or piercing; keenness;
   sharpness; piquancy; as, the pungency of ammonia. "The
   pungency of menaces." --Hammond.
   [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

59 Moby Thesaurus words for "pungency":
      acerbity, acescency, acidity, acidulousness, acridity, acridness,
      astringence, astringency, bitter pill, bitterness, brilliance,
      causticity, cleverness, dash, dryness, facetiousness, funniness,
      gall, gall and wormwood, greenness, headiness, humorousness,
      hyperacidity, jocoseness, jocularity, joking, joshing,
      keen-wittedness, keenness, liveliness, nimble-wittedness,
      odorousness, pep, piquancy, pleasantry, poignancy,
      quick-wittedness, raciness, saltiness, sharpness, smartness,
      smelliness, sour, sourishness, sourness, sparkle, spirit,
      subacidity, tartishness, tartness, unripeness, unsweetness,
      verjuice, verve, vinegariness, vinegarishness, vivacity, vividness,
      wittiness