acuminate

[adjective uh-kyoo-muh-nit, -neyt; verb uh-kyoo-muh-neyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR acuminate ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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

Related Words for acuminate

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

Examples from the Web for acuminate

Historical Examples of acuminate

Anterior surface of cell studded with minute acuminate papillae; posterior surface smooth, sometimes spotted.
Narrative Of The Voyage Of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By The Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During The Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries And Surveys In New Guinea, The Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. To Which Is Added The Account Of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition For The Exploration Of The Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist To The Expedition. In Two Volumes. Volume 1.
John MacGillivray
Tail short, even, the shafts very strong, and prolonged into acuminate points.
A Synopsis of the Birds of North America
John James Audubon
Bill almost straight, acuminate; tail of moderate length, emarginate and rounded.
A Synopsis of the Birds of North America
John James Audubon
Bill rather slender; feathers of the crown and occiput elongated, of the fore part of the back much elongated and acuminate.
A Synopsis of the Birds of North America
John James Audubon
Pinnæ lanceolate, acuminate, the lowest pair deflexed and standing forward; cut into oblong, obtuse segments.
The Fern Lover's Companion
George Henry Tilton

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

acuminate in Medicine

acuminate

[ə-kyōō′mə-nĭt, -nāt′]

adj.

Tapering to a point; pointed.