acuminate

English

Alternative forms

• accuminate

Etymology

From Late Latin acuminatus, past participle of acuminare (“to sharpen to a point”).

Pronunciation

• Adjective:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈkjuːmɪnət/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Verb:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈkjuːmɪneɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Adjective

acuminate (comparative more acuminate, superlative most acuminate)

1. Tapering to a point; pointed.

   acuminate leaves, teeth, etc.

2. (botany, mycology) Tapering to a long point in concave manner at its apex.

Derived terms

• biacuminate
• long-acuminate
• subacuminate

Translations

tapering to a point

Bulgarian: заострен (bg) (zaostren) Finnish: kapeakärkinen Portuguese: acuminado (pt) Spanish: acuminado (es)

botany, mycology: tapering to a long point in concave manner

Finnish: pitkäsuippuinen

Verb

acuminate (third-person singular simple present acuminates, present participle acuminating, simple past and past participle acuminated)

1. (transitive) To render sharp or keen; to sharpen.
   • September 17, 1784, William Cowper, letter to the Rev. John Newton

     To acuminate even despair.

2. (intransitive) To end in or come to a sharp point.

Derived terms

• acumination

Italian

Adjective

acuminate f pl

1. feminine plural of acuminato

Participle

acuminate f pl

1. feminine plural of acuminato

Anagrams

• neumatica

Latin

Participle

acūmināte

1. vocative masculine singular of acūminātus