acuto-, acut-, acuti-, acu-, -cusis; also, agu-

Descriptive of a shape that is made when two or more straight lines join or cross each other as measured in degrees: Any acutangular form is less than 90 degrees, such as equilateral triangles which have three internal angles that are exactly the same size and shape to each other and are each 60 degrees.

1. Regarding something having a sharp point: Angles of less than 90 degrees are called acute angles.
2. Descriptive of an extremely severe and sharp pain in a person's body: Sharon had an acute headache.

Henry is suffering from acute appendicitis.

3. Keenly perceptive or discerning, ingenious; mentally quick, shrewd: Einstein is said to have been a man of uncommonly acute intelligence.
4. Of great importance or consequence; crucial: The company had an acute lack of financial resources. © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

1. Regarding how the senses and feelings can be affected in a keen, delicate, sharp, or poignant manner: When Jane's boyfriend kissed her in front of their classmates, Jane was acutely abashed.
2. Concerning how a person's mental faculties respond in a shrewd or astute manner: Doug was acutely observant when the wild boar came into view.
3. Descriptive of how material things can suddenly change in direction or degree: All at once there was a forceful blast of wind which flipped Nancy's umbrella acutely inside out.

Sandy wore some shoes that had acutely red high heels.

1.The sharpness of the tip or edge of something material: Mary filed her fingernails to the point of acuteness.
2.The keenness and intentness of a pain or a disease: The severity and acuteness of the virus caused a disastrous affect on the population.
3. A sound which possesses a high pitch: Suddenly the baby started crying because of the shrillness and acuteness of the siren.
4. A sensitiveness and nice discernment of perception: Lisa possessed the acuteness of a good mother that was necessary to tend to her baby's needs, either during the day or night.

Acute-angled: In her geometry class at school, Nancy learned that a triangle has three acute angles, or is an acutiangle triangle.

Pertaining to the condition of having projecting ribs: After having lost so much weight, Anita thought that she had acuticostal bones that extended from the spine towards the backbone because she could definitely see them, so she tried gaining more weight again.

Descriptive of leaves that are sharply pointed: Among the different plants that are acutifoliate, Mildred came across the Aloe Vera, which could grow very fast if well-cared for.

Referring to animals that have a sharply pointed tongue or mouth: In zoology, it is stated that certain bees are acutilingual.

In botany, leaves that are pointed and sharply lobed: Mary saw a photo of a bush with acutilobate, or with acute-lobed foliage.

In botany, somewhat acute: In spring the buds on the rosebush were quite oval and ended in an acutish and almost pointed tip.

A form of divination that uses pins or needles: Diviners use seven sharp objects that fall on a table, and the patterns are read for acutomanzia which usually includes thirteen pins, or needles, that are used, ten of them are straight and three are bent.

During the processes of acutomanzias, the pins or needles are shaken and when they fall on a table covered with a light film of talcum-powder, their formations in the powder and their positions are studied for possible revelations about a person's future.

1. An acute fever: An ague, such as malaria, is marked by paroxysms of chills, fever, and sweating, and recurring at regular intervals.
2. A fit of shivering, a chill: Ague can refer to coldness, shuddering, and fever.
3. Etymology: aigue entered English usage in the 14th century, having crossed the English channel from the Middle French aguë.

The word shares the same origin as acute. It comes from the Latin acutus, "sharp or pointed". A fievre aigue in French was a sharp, pointed, or acute fever.

Descriptive of an ailment resembling intermittent fever; feverlike: Sharon seemed to have an aguelike condition attended by alternate cold and hot fits.

1. Concerning the production of, or the resemblance of, or of being the result of ague: An aguish illness is an old expression for a person who has a fever, feels cold, and shivers.
2. Descriptive of being easily affected by or subject to fits of ague, or a fit of shivering: Bob didn't seem to have good physical health, and so he was termed to have recurring aguish conditions by his doctor.
3. Regarding the characteristics of ague: The symptoms Jack showed seemed to be quite aguish with shaking, quivering, fever, and being chilly.

1. A description of how a person suffers from a febrile condition: Jack was affected aguishly with alternating periods of chills, fever, and sweating.

A person experiencing an aguishly feverish condition involving alternating hot, cold, and sweating stages could possibly have the symptom of malaria.
2. A reference to how a shaking condition develops: Nelly felt oncoming fits of shivering accompanied by a high temperature, and just she felt aguishly sick.