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The quality of being acute or pointed; sharpness; as, the acuteness of an angle.

An instrument for measuring the acuteness of the sense of hearing. Itard.

Sharpness or acuteness, as of a needle, wit, etc.

Acuteness. Dryden.

eed of large and powerful dogs, with long, smooth, and pendulous ears, and remarkable for acuteness of smell. It is employed to recover game or prey which has escaped wounded from a hunter, and for tracking criminals. Formerly it was used for pursuing runaway slaves. Other varieties of dog are often used for the same p…

Acuteness (of the faculties); sharpness 9wit. The brightness of his parts . . . distinguished him. Prior.

Acuteness of discernment; cunningness; shrewdness. [R.] Her eagly-eyed callidity. C. Smart.

Acuteness; cunning. [Colloq.]

o make as dead; to impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; to lessen the force or acuteness of; to blunt; as, to deaden the natural powers or feelings; to deaden a sound.

objects, and their relations and tendencies; penetrative and discriminate mental vision; acuteness; sagacity; insight; as, the errors of youth often proceed from the want of discernment.

Depression of tone; the state of being below the true pitch; -- opposed to sharpness or acuteness.

Lowness of tone; -- opposed to acuteness. Center of gravity See under Center. -- Gravity battery, See Battery, n., 4. -- Specific gravity, the ratio of the weight of a body to the weight of an equal volume of some other body taken as the standard or unit. This standard is usually water for solids and liquids, and air…

The quality or power of ready invention; quickness or acuteness in forming new combinations; ingeniousness; skill in devising or combining. All the means which human ingenuity has contrived. Blair.

Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features. To make our wits more keen. Shak. Before the keen inquiry of her thought. Cowper.

Acuteness; smartness; also, a smart trick or stratagem.[Obs.] Stanihurst.

Quickness of scent; hence, nice discernment; acuteness. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Perception; insight; acuteness. [Obs.] Methinks a man Of your sagacity and clear nostril should Have made another choice. B. Jonson.

Excessive acuteness of sight.

Acuteness or shrillness of voice.

Acuteness; insight; sharp discoverment; sagacity; as, a person of singular penetration. Walpole.