Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Sharp

Sharp

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Sharper
;
sup
erl.
Sharpest
.]
[OE.
sharp
,
scharp
,
scarp
, AS.
scearp
; akin to OS.
skarp
, LG.
scharp
, D.
scherp
, G.
scharf
, Dan. & Sw.
skarp
, Icel.
skarpr
. Cf.
Escarp
,
Scrape
,
Scorpion
.]
1.
Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen.
He dies upon my scimeter’s
sharp
point.
Shakespeare
2.
Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded; somewhat pointed or edged; peaked or ridged;
as, a
sharp
hill;
sharp
features.
3.
Affecting the sense as if pointed or cutting, keen, penetrating, acute: to the taste or smell, pungent, acid, sour, as ammonia has a sharp taste and odor; to the hearing, piercing, shrill, as a sharp sound or voice; to the eye, instantaneously brilliant, dazzling, as a sharp flash.
4.
(Mus.)
(a)
High in pitch; acute;
as, a
sharp
note or tone
.
(b)
Raised a semitone in pitch;
as, C
sharp
(C♯), which is a half step, or semitone, higher than C
.
(c)
So high as to be out of tune, or above true pitch;
as, the tone is
sharp
; that instrument is
sharp
. Opposed in all these senses to
flat
.
5.
Very trying to the feelings; piercing; keen; severe; painful; distressing;
as,
sharp
pain, weather; a
sharp
and frosty air
.
Sharp
misery had worn him to the bones.
Shakespeare
The morning
sharp
and clear.
Cowper.
In
sharpest
perils faithful proved.
Keble.
6.
Cutting in language or import; biting; sarcastic; cruel; harsh; rigorous; severe;
as, a
sharp
rebuke
.
“That sharp look.”
Tennyson.
To that place the
sharp
Athenian law
Can not pursue us.
Shakespeare
Be thy words severe,
Sharp
as merits but the sword forbear.
Dryden.
7.
Of keen perception; quick to discern or distinguish; having nice discrimination; acute; penetrating; sagacious; clever;
as, a
sharp
eye;
sharp
sight, hearing, or judgment
.
Nothing makes men
sharper
. . . than want.
Addison.
Many other things belong to the material world, wherein the
sharpest
philosophers have never ye[GREEK] arrived at clear and distinct ideas.
L. Watts.
8.
Eager in pursuit; keen in quest; impatient for gratification; keen;
as, a
sharp
appetite
.
9.
Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous.
“In sharp contest of battle.”
Milton.
A
sharp
assault already is begun.
Dryden.
10.
Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interest; close and exact in dealing; shrewd;
as, a
sharp
dealer; a
sharp
customer.
The necessity of being so
sharp
and exacting.
Swift.
11.
Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty;
as,
sharp
sand
.
Moxon.
12.
Steep; precipitous; abrupt;
as, a
sharp
ascent or descent; a
sharp
turn or curve
.
13.
(Phonetics)
Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone, without voice, as certain consonants, such as p, k, t, f; surd; nonvocal; aspirated.
☞ Sharp is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, sharp-cornered, sharp-edged, sharp-pointed, sharp-tasted, sharp-visaged, etc.
Sharp practice
,
the getting of an advantage, or the attempt to do so, by a tricky expedient.
–
To brace sharp
, or
To sharp up
(Naut.)
,
to turn the yards to the most oblique position possible, that the ship may lie well up to the wind.
Syn. – Keen; acute; piercing; penetrating; quick; sagacious; discerning; shrewd; witty; ingenious; sour; acid; tart; pungent; acrid; severe; poignant; biting; acrimonious; sarcastic; cutting; bitter; painful; afflictive; violent; harsh; fierce; ardent; fiery.

Sharp

,
adv.
1.
To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply.
M. Arnold.
The head [of a spear] full
sharp
yground.
Chaucer.
You bite so
sharp
at reasons.
Shakespeare
2.
Precisely; exactly;
as, we shall start at ten o'clock
sharp
.
[Colloq.]
Look sharp
,
attend; be alert.
[Colloq.]

Sharp

,
Noun.
1.
A sharp tool or weapon.
[Obs.]
If butchers had but the manners to go to
sharps
, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs.
Collier.
2.
(Mus.)
(a)
The character [♯] used to indicate that the note before which it is placed is to be raised a half step, or semitone, in pitch.
(b)
A sharp tone or note.
Shak.
3.
A portion of a stream where the water runs very rapidly.
[Prov. Eng.]
C. Kingsley.
4.
A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps.
5.
pl.
Same as
Middlings
, 1.
6.
An expert.
[Slang]

Sharp

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sharped
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Sharping
.]
1.
To sharpen.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
2.
(Mus.)
To raise above the proper pitch; to elevate the tone of; especially, to raise a half step, or semitone, above the natural tone.

Sharp

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper.
L'Estrange.
2.
(Mus.)
To sing above the proper pitch.

Webster 1828 Edition

Sharp

SH'ARP

, a.
1. Having a very thin edge or a fine point; keen; acute; not blunt. Thus we may say, a sharp knife, or a sharp needle. A sharp edge easily severs a substance; a sharp point is easily made to penetrate,it.
2. Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse; as, a hills terminates in a sharp peak, or a sharp ridge.
3. Forming an acute or too small angle at the ridge; as a sharp roof.
4. Acute of mind; quick to discern or distinguish; penetrating; ready at invention; witty; ingenious.
Nothing makes men sharper than want. Addison.
Many other things belong to the material world, wherein the sharpest philosophers have not yet obtained clear ideas. Watts.
5. Being of quick or nice perception; applied to the senses or organs of perception; as a sharp eye; sharp sight.
6. Affecting the organs of taste like fine points; piercing; penetrating; shrill; as sharp vinegar; sharp tasted citrons.
7. Affecting the organs of hearing like sharp points; poercing; penetrating; shrill; as a sharp sound or voice; a sharp not or tone; opposed to a flat note or sound.
8. Severe; harsh; biting; sarcastic; as sharp words; sharp rebuke.
-Be thy words severe,

Definition 2024

Sharp

Sharp

See also: sharp

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Sharp

  1. A surname​.

sharp

sharp

See also: Sharp

English

Adjective

sharp ‎(comparative sharper, superlative sharpest)

  1. Able to cut easily.
    I keep my knives sharp so that they don't slip unexpectedly while carving.‎
    • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapterII:
      Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.
  2. (colloquial) Intelligent.
    My nephew is a sharp lad; he can count to 100 in six languages, and he's only five years old.‎
    • 2015 February 20, Jesse Jackson, “In the Ferguson era, Malcolm X’s courage in fighting racism inspires more than ever”, in The Guardian (London):
      At school, despite his sharp mind, Malcolm was laughed at by teachers when he said he wanted to be a lawyer.
  3. Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded.
    Ernest made the pencil too sharp and accidentally stabbed himself with it.‎
    a sharp hill;  a face with sharp features‎
  4. (music) Higher than usual by one semitone (denoted by the symbol ♯ after the name of the note).
  5. (music) Higher in pitch than required.
    The orchestra's third violin several times was sharp about an eighth of a tone.‎
  6. Having an intense, acrid flavour.
    Milly couldn't stand sharp cheeses when she was pregnant, because they made her nauseated.‎
  7. Sudden and intense.
    A pregnant woman during labor normally experiences a number of sharp contractions.‎
    • 1914, Louis Joseph Vance, Nobody, chapter II:
      She wakened in sharp panic, bewildered by the grotesquerie of some half-remembered dream in contrast with the harshness of inclement fact.
  8. (colloquial) Illegal or dishonest.
    Michael had a number of sharp ventures that he kept off the books.‎
  9. (colloquial) Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interests; shrewd.
    a sharp dealer;  a sharp customer‎
    • Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
      the necessity of being so sharp and exacting
  10. Exact, precise, accurate; keen.
    You'll need sharp aim to make that shot.‎
    • 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:
      Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. […] A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.
  11. Offensive, critical, or acrimonious.
    sharp criticism;  When the two rivals met, first there were sharp words, and then a fight broke out.‎
  12. (colloquial) Stylish or attractive.
    You look so sharp in that tuxedo!‎
  13. Observant; alert; acute.
    Keep a sharp watch on the prisoners. I don't want them to escape!‎
  14. Forming a small angle; especially, forming an angle of less than ninety degrees.
    Drive down Main for three quarters of a mile, then make a sharp right turn onto Pine.‎
    • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,
      The street down which Warwick had come intersected Front Street at a sharp angle in front of the old hotel, forming a sort of flatiron block at the junction, known as Liberty Point
  15. Steep; precipitous; abrupt.
    a sharp ascent or descent;  a sharp turn or curve‎
  16. (mathematics, of a statement) Said of as extreme a value as possible.
    Sure, any planar graph can be five-colored. But that result is not sharp: in fact, any planar graph can be four-colored. That is sharp: the same can't be said for any lower number.‎
  17. (chess) Tactical; risky.
    • 1963, Max Euwe, Chess Master Vs. Chess Amateur (page xviii)
      Time and time again, the amateur player has lost the opportunity to make the really best move because he felt bound to follow some chess "rule" he had learned, rather than to make the sharp move which was indicated by the position.
    • 1975, Luděk Pachman, Decisive Games in Chess History (page 64)
      In such situations most chess players choose the obvious and logical way: they go in for sharp play. However, not everyone is a natural attacking player […]
  18. Piercing; keen; severe; painful.
    a sharp pain;  the sharp and frosty winter air‎
  19. Eager or keen in pursuit; impatient for gratification.
    a sharp appetite‎
  20. (obsolete) Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous.
    • John Milton (1608-1674)
      in sharp contest of battle
    • John Dryden (1631-1700)
      A sharp assault already is begun.
  21. Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty.
    sharp sand‎
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Edward Moxon to this entry?)
  22. (phonetics, dated) Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone; aspirated; unvoiced.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

sharp ‎(comparative sharper, superlative sharpest)

  1. To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of M. Arnold to this entry?)
    • Shakespeare
      You bite so sharp at reasons.
  2. (not comparable) Exactly.
    I'll see you at twelve o'clock sharp.
  3. (music) In a higher pitch than is correct or desirable.
    I didn't enjoy the concert much because the tenor kept going sharp on the high notes.

Synonyms

Translations

Noun

sharp ‎(plural sharps)

  1. (music) The symbol ♯, placed after the name of a note in the key signature or before a note on the staff to indicate that the note is to be played a semitone higher.
    The pitch pipe sounded out a perfect F♯ (F sharp).
    Transposition frequently is harder to read because of all the sharps and flats on the staff.
  2. (music) A note that is played a semitone higher than usual; denoted by the name of the note that is followed by the symbol ♯.
  3. (music) A note that is sharp in a particular key.
    The piece was difficult to read after it had been transposed, since in the new key many notes were sharps.
  4. (music) The scale having a particular sharp note as its tonic.
    Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is written in C♯ minor (C sharp minor.)
  5. (usually in the plural) Something that is sharp.
    Place sharps in the specially marked red container for safe disposal.
  6. A sharp tool or weapon.
    • Collier
      If butchers had but the manners to go to sharps, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs.
  7. (medicine) A hypodermic syringe.
  8. (medicine, dated) A scalpel or other edged instrument used in surgery.
  9. A dishonest person; a cheater.
    The casino kept in the break room a set of pictures of known sharps for the bouncers to see.
  10. Part of a stream where the water runs very rapidly.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Charles Kingsley to this entry?)
  11. A sewing needle with a very slender point, more pointed than a blunt or a between.
  12. (in the plural) middlings
  13. (slang, dated) An expert.
  14. A sharpie (member of Australian gangs of the 1960s and 1970s).
    • 2006, Iain McIntyre, Tomorrow Is Today: Australia in the Psychedelic Era, 1966-1970
      The Circle was one of the few dances the older sharps frequented; mostly they were to be found in pubs, pool-halls or at the track.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Verb

sharp ‎(third-person singular simple present sharps, present participle sharping, simple past and past participle sharped)

  1. (music) To raise the pitch of a note half a step making a natural note a sharp.
    That new musician must be tone deaf: he sharped half the notes of the song!
  2. To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of L'Estrange to this entry?)

Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English scharp, from Old English scearp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz (compare West Frisian skerp, Low German scharp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb(h) (compare Irish cearb ‎(“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus ‎(“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye ‎(“rough”), Latvian skârbs ‎(“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба ‎(ščerba, “notch”), Albanian harb ‎(“rudeness”), from *(s)ker- ‎(“to cut”). More at shear.

Pronunciation

Similar Results