acumen

acumen
ăcūmĕn, ĭnis, n. [acuo], a point to prick or sting with; diff. fr. cacumen, which designates merely the summit or extremity of a thing, Doed. Syn. 2, 108.
I.
Lit.: tum clupei resonunt et ferri stridit acumen, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 838 P. (Ann. v. 369 ed. Vahl.):

coni,

 Lucr. 4, 431:

nasi,

 id. 6, 1193 (i.e. the pointed contraction of the nose before death; cf. Bentl. ad Hor. S. 1, 3, 29):

stili,

 Cic. de Or. 1, 33:

ferrum Diana volanti abstulerat jaculo: lignum sine acumine venit,

 Ov. M. 8, 353; 3, 84.—Hence, also, the sting of an animal:

scorpii,

 Cic. Arat. 685:—auspicium ex acuminibus, a military omen of victory, when the spears stuck in the ground suddenly begin to burn or shine at the points, Cic. Div. 2, 36, 77, and id. N. D. 2, 3; cf. Liv. 22, 1; 43, 13.—In Plin., of the taste: sharpness or pungency, 14, 20, 25.—
II.
Fig., of the mind, like acies.
A.
Acuteness, shrewdness, keenness, acumen:

sermonis leporem, ingeniorum acumen, dicendi copiam,

 Cic. Fl. 4; so Nep. Alc. 11; Plin. 2, 27, 27, § 97.—Also without a gen.:

ubi est acumen tuum?

 Cic. Tusc. 1, 6; so Lucr. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 2: Empedocles an Stertinium deliret acumen, Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 20.— Poet. also in plur.:

serus Graecis admovit acumina chartis,

 Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 161.—
B.
Cunning, subtlety:

argutiae et acumen Hyperidis,

 Cic. Or. 31; so id. de Or. 2, 63.—Also in plur.:

dialectici ipsi se compungunt suis acuminibus,

 id. de Or. 2, 38:

meretricis acumina,

 Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 55. —Hence,

Lewis & Short Latin Dictionary, 1879. - Revised, Enlarged, and in Great Part Rewritten. . 2011.

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  • acumen — ⇒ACUMEN, subst. masc. A. BOTANIQUE : • 1. Acumen. C est ainsi qu on désigne parfois un petit prolongement qui termine certains organes foliacés. E. A. CARRIÈRE, Encyclopédie horticole, 1862, p. 7. Au fig. Acuité de l esprit, pénétration et… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • acumen — (del lat. «acūmen, ĭnis») m. Agudeza de la punta o corte de un utensilio o arma. ⊚ Intensidad de un dolor. ⊚ Perspicacia de la vista o el oído. * * * acumen. (Del lat. acūmen, ĭnis). m. desus. Agudeza, perspicacia, ingenio …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Acumen — may refer to:* Acumen Fund, a non profit global venture fund* Acumen Nation, an American rock music group …   Wikipedia

  • acumen — UK US /ˈækjʊmən/ noun [U] ► skill in making correct decisions and judgments in business or in a particular area of business: »He is an astute man with sound business acumen. »commercial/financial/legal acumen …   Financial and business terms

  • Acumen — A*cu men, n. [L. acumen, fr. acuere to sharpen. Cf. {Acute}.] Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination. Selden. [1913 Webster] Syn: Sharpness; sagacity; keenness; shrewdness; acuteness. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • acumen — (n.) 1530s, from L. acumen a point, sting, hence mental sharpness, shrewdness, from acuere to sharpen (see ACUITY (Cf. acuity)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • acumen — (Del lat. acūmen, ĭnis). m. desus. Agudeza, perspicacia, ingenio …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • acumen — I noun acuity, astuteness, caliber, cleverness, common sense, comprehension, discernment, discretion, discrimination, foresightedness, ingenuity, insight, intelligence, intuition, judgment, keenness, mental acuteness, mental capacity, perception …   Law dictionary

  • acúmen — s. m. O mesmo que acume. • [Brasil] Plural: acúmenes ou acumens. • [Portugal] Plural: acúmenes …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • acumen — penetration, *discernment, insight, perception, discrimination Analogous words: shrewdness, sagacity, perspicacity, astuteness (see corresponding adjectives at SHREWD): sharpness, keenness, acuteness (see corresponding adjectives at SHARP)… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • acumen — The 19c pronunciation as recorded in the OED was with the stress on the second syllable. This is still the dominant pronunciation in AmE, but in BrE stress on the first syllable is now standard …   Modern English usage

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