cusp

[ kuhsp ]

/ kʌsp /

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noun

a point or pointed end.

Anatomy, Zoology, Botany. a point, projection, or elevation, as on the crown of a tooth.

Also called spinode. Geometry. a point where two branches of a curve meet, end, and are tangent.

Architecture. a decorative device, used especially in Gothic architecture to vary the outlines of intradoses or to form architectural foils, consisting of a pair of curves tangent to the real or imaginary line defining the area decorated and meeting at a point within the area.

Astronomy. a point of a crescent, especially of the moon.

Astrology.

the zodiacal degree that marks the beginning of a house or a sign.
Informal. a person born on the first day of a sign.

a point that marks the beginning of a change: on the cusp of a new era.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cusp

First recorded in 1575–85, cusp is from the Latin word cuspis a point

OTHER WORDS FROM cusp

cuspal, adjective

Words nearby cusp

cushty, cushy, cusk, cusk-eel, CUSO, cusp, cuspate, cusped, cuspid, cuspidal, cuspidate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT CUSP

What is a cusp?

Most often, cusp is used figuratively to mean a turning point or a point that marks a new beginning, as in Jorge was on the cusp of a scientific breakthrough when his grant money ran out.

Literally, a cusp is a point or pointed end, as with the peak of a mountain.

Cusp also has several specialized uses, too. In anatomy and related fields, a cusp is the tip, as on a tooth. Your dentist might refer to your cuspid and bicuspid teeth. These are teeth with one point and two points, respectively.

In architecture, a cusp is the apex of two curves that come to a point, found especially in Gothic arches.

And in astronomy, a cusp is the point of a crescent, such as with the moon.

Example: We are on the cusp of a great discovery.

Where does cusp come from?

The first records of the term cusp come from the 1570s. It comes from the Latin cuspis, meaning “a point.”

You’re likely to hear the phrase on the cusp. Literally this means “on the border between two things.” This can be literal, as with borderlines drawn between properties or with someone who is standing right on the edge of something about to drop off of it. However, it’s more often figurative, such as referring to the space between or overlap of two concepts or someone being about to do something. For example, someone born on the first day of a new zodiac sign is said to be on the cusp of the sign that came before it. And someone can say they are on the cusp of a victory or a failure.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to cusp?

cuspal (adjective)
cuspate (adjective)
cusped (adjective)

What are some synonyms for cusp?

What are some words that share a root or word element with cusp?

What are some words that often get used in discussing cusp?

How is cusp used in real life?

Cusp is most often used figuratively to describe being on the verge of something.

When you buy Christmas gifts on the cusp of arriving on time and arriving late and you have no way of knowing when exactly they'll arrive.

Plz FedEx, gimme that tracking number. pic.twitter.com/3wA7nGLMmH

— Merdy🪶Burbtuber🐥 (@Merdyburd) December 20, 2021

i'm sorry to interrupt, it's just i'm constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you.

— rena (@renalovelis) October 7, 2015

Feelin inspired. Headin to the studio to make some music. We are on the cusp of greatness. #youdontevenknowwhatscomin

— Jake Miller (@jakemiller) April 19, 2014

Try using cusp!

Is cusp used correctly in the following sentence?

I was on the cusp of failing history class when I got an A that saved my grade.

How to use cusp in a sentence

The People’s Bank of China is on the cusp of launching a digital yuan, which many believe will help China weaken the influence of the greenback in global trade.
Mastercard launches digital currency kit for central banks|Jeff|September 9, 2020|Fortune
Here’s how confident Jeff Sprecher is that he’s on the cusp of transforming the lengthy, paper-heavy slog of getting a home loan into a fully digitized snap.
First he took energy trading and the NYSE electronic. Now Jeff Sprecher of ICE shares his plans to digitize your mortgage|Shawn Tully|September 2, 2020|Fortune
The 2020 college football season is looking less and less likely, with Power Five conferences reportedly on the cusp of calling off or at least postponing fall sports.
Notre Dame Didn’t Want To Join A Conference. But The ACC Could Have Helped It Win.|Jake Lourim|August 10, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Curie was also on the cusp of announcing that it had struck some deals with fitness studios to carry its deodorant.
As headwinds emerge, DTC brands bet on early growth to carry them through the rest of the year|Anna Hensel|July 27, 2020|Digiday

Unlike most well-known auroras, the cusp type can be seen midday.
Newfound ‘dunes’ is among weirdest of northern lights|Maria Temming|March 9, 2020|Science News For Students
The novel is a near perfect portrayal of the emotions of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood.
These Female Contemporaries Weren’t Afraid of Virginia Woolf|Louisa Treger|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
France, and indeed Europe, was on the cusp of a new kind of living where governments needed to be efficient.
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator|J.P. O’Malley|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the Daily Beast reported earlier this week, Pippa Middleton is on the cusp of signing a deal to be a special reporter for NBC.
Pippa Middleton's Country Dancing NBC Try Out|Tom Sykes|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These new cases, both real and merely suspected, are coming right as we approach the cusp of influenza season.
Parents’ Ebola Panic Is Taking Over My Clinic|Russell Saunders|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I always read him as an older kind of a guy on the cusp of finishing school and finding a job,” he said.
Why 'The Giver' Movie Will Disappoint the Book's Fans|Kevin Fallon|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The specimens from Honduras have a basal cusp on the hinder edge of the lower canine.
A Synopsis of the American Bats of the Genus Pipistrellus|Walter W. Dalquest
The pierced cusp gives a peculiar lightness and brilliancy to the window, but is not so sublime.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin
In every other case the form of the aperture is determined, either by a flat and solid cusp as in 6, or by a pierced cusp as in 4.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin
II.; and its derivation from the solid cusp will be understood, at once, from the woodcut Fig.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin
The ornaments of the cusp might thus be worked without any troublesome reference to the rest of the arch.
The Stones of Venice, Volume I (of 3)|John Ruskin

British Dictionary definitions for cusp

cusp

/ (kʌsp) /

noun

any of the small elevations on the grinding or chewing surface of a tooth

any of the triangular flaps of a heart valve

a point or pointed end

Also called: spinode geometry a point at which two arcs of a curve intersect and at which the two tangents are coincident

architect a carving at the meeting place of two arcs

astronomy either of the points of a crescent moon or of a satellite or inferior planet in a similar phase

astrology any division between houses or signs of the zodiac

Word Origin for cusp

C16: from Latin cuspis point, pointed end

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

cusp

Origin of cusp

OTHER WORDS FROM cusp

Words nearby cusp

MORE ABOUT CUSP

What is a cusp?

Where does cusp come from?

Did you know … ?

How is cusp used in real life?

Try using cusp!

Words related to cusp

How to use cusp in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cusp

Word Origin for cusp