THE FIRST WORD

acuity

PRONUNCIATION:

(uh-KYOO-i-tee) 

MEANING:

noun: Sharpness; keenness.

ETYMOLOGY:

Via French from Latin acuere (to sharpen). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ak- (sharp), which is also the source of acrid, vinegar, acid, acute, edge, hammer, heaven, eager, oxygen, mediocre, paragon, and acescent. Earliest documented use: 1400.

USAGE:

"Birds seek out their own food and build nests for their eggs, some have the mental acuity to know of approaching storms and they may huddle together for warmth when it is cold."
L. Sue Boggler; Four Legs of the Stool; Abbott Press; 2012.