sharpness

See also: Sharpness

English

Etymology

From Middle English sharpnesse, scharpnesse, from Old English sċearpnes (“sharpness”), equivalent to sharp +‎ -ness.

Noun

sharpness (countable and uncountable, plural sharpnesses)

(uncountable) the cutting ability of an edge; keenness
(uncountable) the fineness of the point a pointed object
(countable) The product or result of being sharp.
(of food etc) pungency or acidity
(of an image) distinctness, focus
(of intelligence) acuteness or acuity
- 2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport‎:
  A lack of match sharpness was perhaps to blame for Rooney squandering England's best chance after 27 minutes.
(obsolete) edge or blade
- 1760, John Marchant, Gent. Mr. Gordon, Daniel Bellamy, and others., A New Complete English Dictionary...‎:
  CUT-WATER, or KNEE OF THE HEAD [S.] the ſharpneſs of the head of the ſhip, below the beak;
- ca. 1395, John Wycliffe et al., Joshua 6:21‎:
  also thei smytiden bi the scharpnesse of swerd, oxun, and scheep, and assis.

Synonyms

(cutting ability of an edge): keenness
(fineness of a point):
(pungency, acidity): acidity, acridity, piquancy, pungency, sourness
(of an image): clarity, distinctness, focus
(of intelligence): acuteness, acuity

Translations

cutting ability of an edge

Assamese: ধাৰ (dhar)
Catalan: agudesa (ca) f
Dutch: scherpheid (nl) f
Esperanto: akro, akreco
French: tranchant (fr) m
German: Schärfe (de)
Greek:
Ancient: ὀξύτης f (oxútēs)

Irish: aichre f (literary)
Latin: aciēs (la) f
Norwegian:
Bokmål: skarphet m or f
Spanish: agudeza (es)
Telugu: పదును (te) (padunu)

fineness of a point

Dutch: gescherptheid f, scherpte (nl) f
Esperanto: akro, akreco

French: finesse (fr) f, acuité (fr) f

pungency, acidity

Dutch: scherpte (nl) f
Esperanto: akro, akreco, acideco (eo)

French: acidité (fr) f

of an image

Dutch: scherpte (nl) f
French: netteté (fr) f
Norwegian:
Bokmål: skarphet m or f

Vietnamese: độ nét

of intelligence

French: acuité (fr) f, tranchant (fr) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

Irish: ^{(please verify)} amhainse f