Added 8 October 2026
sharp
/ʃɑːp/ noun
In Latin: ācer, acūtus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sharp at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
-
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined.
a sharp photographic image
- Ending in a sharp point.
-
Having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions.
an acute observer of politics and politicians
adverb
Origin
From Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *skarp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Cognate with West Frisian skerp, Low German scherp, scharp, schaarp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp. Compare Irish cearb (“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus (“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”), Latvian skârbs (“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба (ščerba, “notch”), Polish szczerba (“gap, dent, jag, chip, nick, notch”), Albanian harb (“rudeness”). More at shear.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)