acerb

English

Etymology

Latin acerbus, from Latin ācer (“sharp”): compare French acerbe. See acrid.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈsɜːb/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈsɜɹb/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)b

Adjective

acerb (comparative acerber or more acerb, superlative acerbest or most acerb)

1. (archaic) Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, such as unripe fruit.

   Synonym: acerbic

   • 1732, Edward Strother, Prælectiones Pharmaco-mathicæ & medico-practicæ:

     If you put Spirit of Sulphur to the Peruvian Bark, it then becomes very acerb. If you mix Mercury with Spirit of Nitre or Oil of Vitriol whilst it boils, it then is very acerb.

2. (archaic, figurative) Sharp and harsh in expressing oneself.

   Synonym: acerbic

   • 1909, Canada. Parliament. House of Commons, Debates: Official Report, volume 1, page 1970:

     As to the somewhat acerb remarks of the member for Jacques Cartier, I may pass them over […]

Derived terms

• acerbly

 

Related terms

• acerbate
• acerbically
• acerbity
• exacerbate

Translations

bitter to the taste

• Finnish: kitkerä (fi)
• French: acerbe (fr)
• Galician: acerbo (gl)
• Italian: acerbo (it)
• Latin: acerbus (la)
• Persian: گس (fa) (gas)
• Portuguese: acerbo (pt)
• Spanish: acerbo (es)

sharp and harsh in expression

• Finnish: pureva (fi), kitkerä (fi)

References

• “acerb”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Brace, brace, caber, cabre, cabré

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French acerbe, from Latin acerbus.

Adjective

acerb m or n (feminine singular acerbă, masculine plural acerbi, feminine and neuter plural acerbe)

1. harsh, unkind

Declension

Declension of acerb

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	acerb		acerbă	acerbi	acerbe
	definite	acerbul		acerba	acerbii	acerbele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	acerb		acerbe	acerbi	acerbe
	definite	acerbului		acerbei	acerbilor	acerbelor