Etymologically
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acumen

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈækjʊmən/, /əˈkjuːmən/ (UK); /ˈækjəmən/, /əˈkjumən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin acumen (“a point, a sting; sharpness of mind”),[2][3][4][5][6] from acuere “to sharpen”,[2][3][4][5][6] which is related to acus “needle”.[2][4] It is related to acute.[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Sharpness of wit; quick and penetrating perception (1531).[7][3]

Semantic evolution

The Latin word meant literally “a point”, and figuratively “mental sharpness, shrewdness”;[4] English took over only the figurative sense.[4][7] A botanical sense, a tapering point on a plant, is recorded from 1794.[7][1] Today the word is used especially of shrewd judgment in practical matters such as business.[5][6] Merriam-Webster dates it about 1579, later than the OED and Barnhart;[5][7][3] Random House gives 1525–35.[6]

Timeline

  • 1531 – keenness of perception (OED, Barnhart).[7][3]
  • 1530s – Etymonline's date.[4]
  • c. 1579 – first date in Merriam-Webster.[5]
  • 1794 – (botany) a tapering point.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Quick, accurate and keen judgment or insight, especially in practical matters; shrewdness.
  2. (botany) A sharp, tapering point on a plant.

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press