acuminate

English

Alternative forms

• accuminate

Etymology

First attested in 1611; borrowed from Latin acuminātus, perfect passive participle acuminō (“to sharpen to a point”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix).

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)

Acuminate leaf tip.

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

• acuminately
• biacuminate
• long-acuminate
• nonacuminate
• 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