Acuteness
[ə'kjʊtnɪs]
Definition
(noun.) the quality of having a sharp edge or point.
(noun.) a quick and penetrating intelligence; 'he argued with great acuteness'; 'I admired the keenness of his mind'.
(noun.) a sensitivity that is keen and highly developed; 'dogs have a remarkable acuteness of smell'.
Edited by Bessie--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The quality of being acute or pointed; sharpness; as, the acuteness of an angle.
(n.) The faculty of nice discernment or perception; acumen; keenness; sharpness; sensitiveness; -- 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.
(n.) Shrillness; high pitch; -- said of sounds.
(n.) Violence of a disease, which brings it speedily to a crisis.
Inputed by Cherie
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. [1]. Sharpness.[2]. Acumen, shrewdness, penetration, sagacity, sagaciousness, astuteness, sharpness, brightness, perspicacity, discernment, ingenuity, mother-wit, quick parts.[3]. Severity, intensity, poignancy, violence.[4]. Highness, shrillness.
Checked by Lanny
Examples
- A deal,' said the old lady, laughing very heartily at her own acuteness. Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist.
- It is impossible to express with what acuteness I felt the convict's breathing, not only on the back of my head, but all along my spine. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- Nothing in her cherished affection in me, made me better, gentler; she only stirred my brain and whetted my acuteness. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- They grew to sudden acuteness as she caught sight of George Dorset descending the steps of the Hotel de Paris and making for her across the square. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- She felt this with nervous acuteness as soon as she had spoken, and coloured to the eyes. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Ex-act-ly--pre-cise-ly: with your usual acuteness, you have hit the nail straight on the head. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- Phineas was tall and lathy, red-haired, with an expression of great acuteness and shrewdness in his face. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- What you say, my dear, is marked with your usual acuteness and good sense, said St. Clare. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- Look at her small face, Mrs. Pryor, scarcely larger than the palm of my hand, alive with acuteness and eagerness. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Her way of glossing over the transaction with Trenor he regarded at once as a tribute to his own acuteness, and a confirmation of his suspicions. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- I rather believe you are giving me more credit for acuteness than I deserve. Jane Austen. Emma.
Edited by Constantine