acuminate

[uh-kyoo-muh-nit, -neyt, uh-kyoo-muh-neyt]

adjective

1. Botany, Zoology.,  pointed; tapering to a point.

verb (used with object)

acuminated, acuminating 

1. to make sharp or keen.

acuminate

adjective

1. narrowing to a sharp point, as some types of leaf

verb

1. (tr) to make pointed or sharp

Other Word Forms

• acumination noun
• subacuminate adjective
• subacumination noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of acuminate¹

1595–1605; < Latin acūminātus (past participle of acūmināre ), equivalent to acūmin- (stem of acūmen ) acumen + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of acuminate¹

C17: from Latin acūmināre to sharpen; see _acumen

Example Sentences

Another species in crisis is the acuminate crayfish, which is unique to Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, experts said, and found largely in the Anacostia watershed.

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Dale’s team has focused on altering Cavendish plants by inserting a gene from the wild banana Musa acuminate malaccensis that confers resistance to TR4.

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A series of fortunate events brought me to a floor somewhere in the mid-twenties of London’s most acuminate skyscraper, the 72-storey, 306-metre Shard.

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Shell cylindrical, polished, spire conic acuminated, very short; outer lip simple, inner lip thickened, tumid, columella with numerous slender plaits, aperture at the base truncatedly emarginate.

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Erect culms and appressed leaves more slender than in the preceding; panicle exserted, very simple and narrow; spikelets smaller, the lower glumes acuminate, little shorter than the cuspidate upper one.

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