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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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See synonyms for: acuminate / acumination 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.
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Origin of acuminate

1595–1605; <Latin acūminātus (past participle of acūmināre), equivalent to acūmin- (stem of acūmen) acumen + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM acuminate

a·cu·mi·na·tion, nounsub·a·cu·mi·nate, adjectivesub·a·cu·mi·na·tion, noun

Words nearby acuminate

acuity, aculeate, aculeus, acultural, acumen, acuminate, acupoint, acupressure, acupuncture, acupuncturist, acus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to acuminate

edged, fine, tapering, hone, whet, acicular, aciculated, acute, cuspated, cuspidated, mucronate, pointy, sharp

How to use acuminate in a sentence

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 forms of acuminate

acumination, 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
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