Adjacent Words

Acerb definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ACERB', a. [L. acerbus; G. herbe, harsh, sour, tart, bitter, rough, whence herbst autumn, herbstzeit, harvest time. See Harvest.]
Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste; sour, with astringency or roughness; a quality of unripe fruits.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: sour or bitter in taste [syn: acerb, acerbic, astringent]
2: harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique" [syn: acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: French or Latin; French acerbe, from Latin acerbus; akin to Latin acer sharp — more at edge Date: 1853 acerbic <acerb humor>

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Acerb A*cerb", a. [L. acerbus, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. acerbe. See Acrid.] Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh.