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acuity

 [uh-kyoo-i-tee]   Example Sentences Origin

a·cu·i·ty

   [uh-kyoo-i-tee]
noun
sharpness; acuteness; keenness: acuity of vision; acuity of mind.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English acuite < Old French < Medieval Latin, Late Latin acuitās, equivalent to Latin acu(ere) to sharpen or acū(tus) sharpened (see acute) + -itās -ity

Related forms
hy·per·a·cu·i·ty, noun
non·a·cu·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Acuity is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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Example Sentences
  • There may also have been selection for other factors, such as mental acuity.
  • While that sentiment may seem bleak, it is only because the author approaches the nature of fear with uncommon acuity and insight.
  • Some have hospital-style triage units to rank the acuity of students who cross their thresholds.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
acuity (əˈkjuːɪtɪ)
 
—n
1.  keenness or acuteness, esp in vision or thought
2.  the capacity of the eye to see fine detail, measured by determining the finest detail that can just be detected
 
[C15: from Old French, from Latin acūtusacute]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

acuity
1540s, from M.Fr. acuité, from M.L. acuitatem (nom. acuitas) "sharpness," from L. acus "needle," acuere "to sharpen," from PIE base *ak- "rise to a point, be sharp" (see acrid).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

acuity a·cu·i·ty (ə-ky&oomacr;'ĭ-tē)
n.
Sharpness, clearness, and distinctness of perception or vision.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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