| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| acute |
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| SYLLABICATION: | a·cute |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   -ky t |
| ADJECTIVE: | 1. Having a sharp point or tip. 2. Keenly perceptive or discerning: “a raw, chilling and psychologically acute novel of human passions reduced to their deadliest essence” (Literary Guild Magazine). See synonyms at sharp. 3. Reacting readily to stimuli or impressions; sensitive: His hearing was unusually acute. 4. Of great importance or consequence; crucial: an acute lack of research funds. 5. Extremely sharp or severe; intense: acute pain; acute relief. 6. Medicine a. Having a rapid onset and following a short but severe course: acute disease. b. Afflicted by a disease exhibiting a rapid onset followed by a short, severe course: acute patients. 7. Music High in pitch; shrill. 8. Geometry Having an acute angle: an acute triangle. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin ac tus, past participle of acuere, to sharpen, from acus, needle. See ak- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | a·cutely —ADVERB
a·cuteness —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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