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acuminate

[ adjective uh-kyoo-muh-nit, -neyt; verb uh-kyoo-muh-neyt ]
/ adjective əˈkyu mə nɪt, -ˌneɪt; verb əˈkyu məˌneɪt /
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adjective

Botany, Zoology. pointed; tapering to a point.

verb (used with object), a·cu·mi·nat·ed, a·cu·mi·nat·ing.

to make sharp or keen.

RELATED WORDS

fine, tapering, hone, edge, whet, taper, acicular, acute, mucronate, pointy, sharp

Nearby words

  1. acuff,
  2. acuity,
  3. aculeate,
  4. aculeus,
  5. acumen,
  6. acupoint,
  7. acupressure,
  8. acupuncture,
  9. acupuncturist,
  10. acus

Origin of acuminate

1595–1605; < Latin acūminātus (past participle of acūmināre), equivalent to acūmin- (stem of acūmen) acumen + -ātus -ate1
Related formsa·cu·mi·na·tion, nounsub·a·cu·mi·nate, adjectivesub·a·cu·mi·na·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for acuminate

British Dictionary definitions for acuminate

acuminate

adjective (əˈkjuːmɪnɪt, -ˌneɪt)

narrowing to a sharp point, as some types of leaf

verb (əˈkjuːmɪˌneɪt)

(tr) to make pointed or sharp
Derived Formsacumination, noun

Word Origin for acuminate

C17: from Latin acūmināre to sharpen; see acumen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for acuminate

acuminate

[ ə-kyōō′mə-nĭt, -nāt′ ]

adj.

Tapering to a point; pointed.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.