sharp

Everyday

1. Sharp means having a thin edge or fine point that can cut or pierce: a sharp knife. tree →
2. A sharp pain is sudden and strong. tree →
3. A sharp turn or bend changes direction quickly. tree →
4. Sharp means clever and quick to notice. tree →
5. Sharp words are unkind or angry. tree →
6. «At three o'clock sharp» means exactly at three. tree →
7. In music, a sharp is a note a half-step higher (♯). tree →
8. Sharp can also mean brief and intense, over in a short, forceful burst. tree →

In the lessons

In safety, sharp objects (knives, scissors, glass, needles, tin lids) must be carried point down and kept from small children; tell an adult about broken glass. In maths, an acute angle looks sharp. In stories and everyday life, «look sharp» means hurry, and a «sharp eye» notices everything. Phrases: «sharp edge», «sharp as a tack» (very clever), «on the dot / sharp».

Examples

• Be careful — the knife is very sharp. tree →
• I felt a sharp pain in my foot. tree →
• The road has a sharp bend. tree →
• Sharpen your pencil before the test. tree →
• Be at the gate at nine o'clock sharp. tree →
• She has sharp eyes and spotted the owl. tree →
• Wrap broken glass so its sharp edges can't cut. tree →
• Play C sharp on the piano. tree →
• The fight was short and sharp. tree →

Note

Opposite: blunt (for edges), dull. Verb: «sharpen». «At 9 sharp» = exactly 9:00, not later. In music, ♯ is sharp and ♭ is flat.

In Jewish tradition

Often describes weapons, tongues and words, such as arrows and swords, to show danger and harm from cruel speech.

Interpretation. Tradition reads sharp tongues as a warning about evil speech, which the sages treat as a serious wrong that can wound like a blade.

Examples

• Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of broom. (Writings PSA.120.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• Thy tongue deviseth destruction; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. (Writings PSA.52.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. (Writings PRO.5.4, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Opposite: blunt (for edges), dull. Verb: «sharpen». «At 9 sharp» = exactly 9:00, not later. In music, ♯ is sharp and ♭ is flat.