AÏcu¶men (#), n. [L. acumen, fr. acuere to sharpen. Cf. Acute.] Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination. Selden. Syn. Ð Sharpness; sagacity; keenness; shrewdness; acuteness.
AÏcu¶miÏnate (#), a. [L. acuminatus, p. p. of acuminare to sharpen, fr. acumen. See Acumen.] Tapering to a point; pointed; as, acuminate leaves, teeth, etc.
AÏcu¶miÏnate (#), v. t. To render sharp or keen. [R.] ½To acuminate even despair.¸ Cowper. AÏcu¶miÏnate, v. i. To end in, or come to, a sharp point. ½Acuminating in a cone of prelacy.¸ Milton. AÏcu·miÏna¶tion (#), n. A sharpening; termination in a sharp point; a tapering point. Bp. Pearson. AÏcu¶miÏnose· (#), a. Terminating in a flat, narrow end. Lindley. AÏcu¶miÏnous (#), a. Characterized by acumen; keen. Highmore. Ac·uÏpres¶sure (#), n. [L. acus needle + premere, pressum, to press.] (Surg.) A mode of arresting hemorrhage resulting from wounds or surgical operations, by passing under the divided vessel a needle, the ends of which are left exposed externally on the cutaneous surface. Simpson. Ac·uÏpunc·tuÏra¶tion (#), n. See Acupuncture. Ac·uÏpunc¶ture (#), n. [L. acus needle + punctura a pricking, fr. pungere to prick: cf. F. acuponcture.] Pricking with a needle; a needle prick. Specifically (Med.): The insertion of needles into the living tissues for remedial purposes. Ac·uÏpunc¶ture (#), v. t. To treat with acupuncture. AÏcus¶tumÏaunce (#), n. See Accustomance. [Obs.] AÏcut¶an·guÏlar (#), a. AcuteÐangled. AÏcute¶ (#), a. [L. acutus, p. p. of acuere to sharpen, fr. a root ak to be sharp. Cf. Ague, Cute, Edge.] 1. Sharp at the end; ending in a sharp point; pointed; Ð opposed to blunt or obtuse; as, an acute angle; an acute leaf. 2. Having nice discernment; perceiving or using minute distinctions; penetrating; clever; shrewd; Ð opposed to dull or stupid; as, an acute observer; acute remarks, or reasoning. 3. Having nice or quick sensibility; susceptible to slight impressions; acting keenly on the senses; sharp; keen; intense; as, a man of acute eyesight, hearing, or feeling; acute pain or pleasure. 4. High, or shrill, in respect to some other sound; Ð opposed to grave or low; as, an acute tone or accent. 5. (Med.) Attended with symptoms of some degree of severity, and coming speedily to a crisis; Ð opposed to chronic; as, an acute disease. Acute angle (Geom.), an angle less than a right angle. Syn. Ð Subtile; ingenious; sharp; keen; penetrating; sagacious; sharp Ð witted; shrewd; discerning; discriminating. See Subtile. AÏcute¶, v. t. To give an acute sound to; as, he acutes his rising inflection too much. [R.] Walker. AÏcute¶Ïan·gled (#), a. Having acute angles; as, an acuteÐangled triangle, a triangle with every one of its angles less than a right angle. AÏcute¶ly, adv. In an acute manner; sharply; keenly; with nice discrimination. AÏcute¶ness, n. 1. The quality of being acute or pointed; sharpness; as, the acuteness of an angle. 2. The faculty of nice discernment or perception; acumen; keenness; sharpness; sensitiveness; Ð applied to the senses, or the understanding. By acuteness of feeling, we perceive small objects or slight impressions: by acuteness of intellect, we discern nice distinctions. Perhaps, also, he felt his professional acuteness interested in bringing it to a successful close.