acute

Signification

Adj

1. Brief, quick, short.
2. High or shrill.
3. Intense; sensitive; sharp.
4. Urgent.
5. With the sides meeting directly to form an acute angle (at an apex or base).
6. Less than 90 degrees.
7. Having all three interior angles measuring less than 90 degrees.
8. Of an accent or tone: generally higher than others.
9. Sharp, produced in the front of the mouth. (See Grave and acute on Wikipedia.Wikipedia)
10. Of an abnormal condition of recent or sudden onset, in contrast to delayed onset; this sense does not imply severity, unlike the common usage.
11. Of a short-lived condition, in contrast to a chronic condition; this sense also does not imply severity.
12. After a letter of the alphabet: having an acute accent.

Noun

1. (informal) A person who has the acute form of a disorder, such as schizophrenia.
2. An accent or tone higher than others.
3. An acute accent (´).

Verb

1. To give an acute sound to.
2. To make acute; to sharpen, to whet.

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/əˈkjuːt/

Étymologie

From Late Middle English acute (“of a disease or fever: starting suddenly and lasting for a short time; of a humour: irritating, sharp”), from Latin acūta, from acūtus (“sharp, sharpened”), perfect passive participle of acuō (“to make pointed, sharpen, whet”), from acus (“needle, pin”). The word is cognate to ague (“acute, intermittent fever”).
As regards the noun, which is derived from the verb, compare Middle English acūte (“severe but short-lived fever; of blood: corrosiveness, sharpness; musical note of high pitch”).