Acuminate

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈkjuːmɪnət/

Definitions

1. Having a shape that gradually tapers to a fine, sharp tip ; to cause something to narrow gradually to a sharp point
2. Characterized by a slender and pointed form ; to sharpen or elongate something by tapering its end
3. Describing an object that comes to a narrow tip ; to shape or form something into a sharp point

Etymology: "Acuminate" is one of those English words that sounds like it should describe something dramatic but simply means "sharpened to a point." It was first recorded in 1611 and borrowed directly from Latin "acuminatus," the past participle of "acuminare," meaning "to sharpen to a point." The Latin verb is built from "acumen," a noun meaning "sharpness" or "point," which is itself the root behind English "acumen" in its sense of keen mental sharpness. The Latin base is a clear piece of wordplay in the making: the same physical idea of a sharp point gave Romans a metaphor for a sharp mind, and English later took both senses from that one root. The verb-forming "-ate" in the Latin verb and the adjective-forming "-ate" in the English adjective together carry the idea of making something into a certain shape or state.

Synonyms: pointed, tapered, sharp

Antonyms: blunt, flat