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acerbus. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
acerbus, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
acerbus in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
acerbus you have here. The definition of the word
acerbus will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
acerbus, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Latin
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Italic *akriðos; equivalent to ācer (“sharp”) + -idus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
acerbus (feminine acerba, neuter acerbum, comparative acerbior, superlative acerbissimus, adverb acerbē); first/second-declension adjective
- (of taste) harsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable
- Synonyms: asper, ācer, frāctus
- sharp, severe, bitter (i.e., extremely painful)
- frīgus acerbum ― the bitter cold
- (of a person) rough, violent, severe, grievous, bitter
- Synonyms: trux, ferōx, atrōx, violēns, immānis, efferus, ferus, crūdēlis, barbaricus, silvāticus, ācer, sevērus
- Antonyms: mītis, tranquillus, misericors, placidus, quietus, clemens
- oppressive, distressing, sad
Declension
First/second-declension adjective.
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- “acerbus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “acerbus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- acerbus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to cause any one very acute pain: acerbum dolorem alicui inurere
- (ambiguous) he has had many painful experiences: multa acerba expertus est
- (ambiguous) to demand payment: pecuniam exigere (acerbe)
- (ambiguous) to exact the taxes (with severity): vectigalia exigere (acerbe)