acuminate
acuminate · acuminates · acuminated · acuminating
To render sharp or keenTo render sharp or keen; to sharpen.
/əˈkjuːmɪneɪt/
Meaning
2 senses(transitive)To render sharp or keen; to sharpen.
September 17, 1784, William Cowper, letter to the Rev. John Newton To acuminate even despair.
(intransitive)To end in or come to a sharp point.
make sharp or acute; taper; make (something) come to a point
Origin
First attested in 1611; borrowed from Latin acuminātus, perfect passive participle acuminōFirst attested in 1611; borrowed from Latin acuminātus, perfect passive participle acuminō (“to sharpen to a point”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix).
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Forms
acuminates, acuminating, acuminated, acuminated| Base form | acuminate · to acuminate |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | acuminates |
| Present participle | acuminating |
| Past simple | acuminated |
| Past participle | acuminated |
regular · Lesson
Word family
2 related wordsRelatedacumen
Derivedacumination
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle