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In a sharp manner,; keenly; acutely. They are more sharply to be chastised and reformed than the rude Irish. Spenser. The soldiers were sharply assailed with wants. Hayward. You contract your eye when you would see sharply. Bacon.

In an acute manner; sharply; keenly; with nice discrimination.

A comprehensive maxim or principle expressed in a few words; a sharply defined sentence relating to abstract truth rather than to practical matters. The first aphorism of Hippocrates is, "Life is short, and the art is long." Fleming.

of substances, extracted from vegetable products, having strong bitter taste but with no sharply defined chemical characteristics. -- Bitter salt, Epsom salts;; magnesium sulphate. -- Bitter vetch (Bot.), a name given to two European leguminous herbs, Vicia Orobus and Ervum Ervilia. -- To the bitter end, to the las…

To cause to sound suddenly and sharply; to snap; as, to crack a whip.

That which distinguishes one thing from another; distinguishing quality; sharply defined difference; as, the distinction between real and apparent good. The distinction betwixt the animal kingdom and the inferior parts of matter. Locke.

Having some of the forms, such as drapery or the like, too sharply defined. "An edgy style of sculpture." Hazlitt.

An effusion of wit; a bright thought tersely and sharply expressed, whether in verse or prose.

Having the tail set low and buttocks that fall away sharply from the croup; -- said of certain horses.

bird of the genus Merganser, and allied genera. They are allied to the ducks, but have a sharply serrated bill.

A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, -- used in sewing. Chaucer.

The act of looking sharply. [Obs.] Bailey.

Having determinate limitations; exactly or sharply defined or stated; definite; exact; nice; not vague or equivocal; as, precise rules of morality. The law in this point is not precise. Bacon. For the hour precise Exacts our parting hence. Milton.

as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up; -- hence, to prick up the ears, to listen sharply; to have the attention and interest strongly engaged. "The courser . . . pricks up his ears." Dryden.

Sharply painful; penetrating; poignant; severe; caustic; stinging. With pungent pains on every side. Swift. His pungent pen played its part in rousing the nation. J. R. Green.

In a pungent manner; sharply.

Sharply cut about halfway to the middle or base into five segments; as, a quinquefid leaf or corolla.

attle off a story. (b) To rail at; to scold. "She would sometimes rattle off her servants sharply." Arbuthnot.

nce, or put down, with reproof; to restrain by expression of disapprobation; to reprehend sharply and summarily; to chide; to reprove; to admonish. The proud he tamed, the penitent he cheered, Nor to rebuke the rich offender feared. Dryden.

To bend sharply and abruptly back; to break off.