different between degree vs acute

English

Etymology

From Middle English degre, borrowed from Old French degré (French: degré), itself from Latin gradus, with the prefix de-.

Pronunciation

• enPR: d?gr?', IPA^(key): /d????i?/
• Rhymes: -i?

Noun

degree (plural degrees)

1. A stage of proficiency or qualification in a course of study, now especially an award bestowed by a university or, in some countries, a college, as a certification of academic achievement. (In the United States, can include secondary schools.) [from 14th c.]

2. (geometry) A unit of measurement of angle equal to ¹?₃₆₀ of a circle's circumference. [from 14th c.]

3. (physics) A unit of measurement of temperature on any of several scales, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit. [from 18th c.]

4. (algebra) The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial. [from 18th c.]

5. (algebra, field theory) The dimensionality of a field extension.

6. (graph theory) The number of edges that a vertex takes part in; a valency.
7. (logic) The number of logical connectives in a formula.
8. (surveying) The curvature of a circular arc, expressed as the angle subtended by a fixed length of arc or chord.
9. (geography) A unit of measurement of latitude and longitude which together identify a location on the Earth's surface.
10. (grammar) Any of the three stages (positive, comparative, superlative) in the comparison of an adjective or an adverb.
11. (obsolete outside heraldry) A step on a set of stairs; the rung of a ladder. [from 13th c.]
12. An individual step, or stage, in any process or scale of values. [from 13th c.]
13. A stage of rank or privilege; social standing. [from 13th c.]
14. (genealogy) A ‘step’ in genealogical descent. [from 14th c.]
    • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, page 140:

      Louis created the École militaire in Paris in 1751, in which 500 scholarships were designated for noblemen able to prove four degrees of noble status.

15. (now rare) One's relative state or experience; way, manner. [from 14th c.]
16. The amount that an entity possesses a certain property; relative intensity, extent. [from 14th c.]

Usage notes

• A person who is engaged in a course of study leading to the earning of a degree can be described (in the present progressive tense) as "doing a degree" in British English, and as "getting a degree" in American English. For example, in American English, "She is currently getting her master's degree at State University." In British English, "I am still confused about when to use 'an' instead of 'a'. Is it an hour or a hour, and if someone is doing a master's degree in arts, is it an MA or a MA?" (Ask Oxford.Com - Ask the Experts - Frequently Asked Questions (Grammar)).

Synonyms

• (unit of angle): °, arcdegree
• (unit of temperature): °
• (unit of latitude): °
• (unit of longitude): °

Coordinate terms

• scale

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• re-edge

Middle English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French decré.

Noun

degree

1. Alternative form of decre

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French degré.

Noun

degree

1. Alternative form of degre

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English ac?te (“of a disease or fever: starting suddenly and lasting for a short time; of a humour: irritating, sharp”), from Latin ac?ta, from ac?tus (“sharp, sharpened”), perfect passive participle of acu? (“to make pointed, sharpen, whet”), from acus (“needle, pin”), from Proto-Indo-European *h?e?- (“sharp”). The word is cognate to ague (“acute, intermittent fever”).

As regards the noun, which is derived from the verb, compare Middle English ac?te (“severe but short-lived fever; of blood: corrosiveness, sharpness; musical note of high pitch”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??kju?t/
• (General American) enPR: ?-kyo?ot?, IPA^(key): /??kjut/
• Rhymes: -u?t

Adjective

acute (comparative acuter or more acute, superlative acutest or most acute)

1. Brief, quick, short.

   Synonyms: fast, rapid

   Antonyms: leisurely, slow
2. High or shrill.

   Antonym: grave
3. Intense, sensitive, sharp.

   Synonyms: keen, powerful, strong

   Antonyms: dull, obtuse, slow, witless
4. Urgent.

   Synonyms: emergent, pressing, sudden
5. (botany) With the sides meeting directly to form an acute angle (at an apex or base).

   Antonym: obtuse
6. (geometry) Of an angle: less than 90 degrees.

   Antonym: obtuse
7. (geometry) Of a triangle: having all three interior angles measuring less than 90 degrees.

   Synonym: acute-angled

   Antonyms: obtuse, obtuse-angled
8. (linguistics, chiefly historical) Of an accent or tone: generally higher than others.
9. (medicine) Of an abnormal condition of recent or sudden onset, in contrast to delayed onset; this sense does not imply severity, unlike the common usage.
10. (medicine) Of a short-lived condition, in contrast to a chronic condition; this sense also does not imply severity.

    Antonym: chronic
11. (orthography) After a letter of the alphabet: having an acute accent.

Derived terms

Related terms

• ague

Translations

Noun

acute (plural acutes)

1. (medicine) A person who has the acute form of a disorder, such as schizophrenia.
2. (linguistics, chiefly historical) An accent or tone higher than others.

   Antonym: grave
3. (orthography) An acute accent (´).

Translations

Verb

acute (third-person singular simple present acutes, present participle acuting, simple past and past participle acuted)

1. (transitive, phonetics) To give an acute sound to.
2. (transitive, archaic) To make acute; to sharpen, to whet.

Translations

References

Further reading

• acute (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• AUTEC, Ceuta

Asturian

Verb

acute

1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive of acutar

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??ky.t?/

Adjective

acute

1. Inflected form of acuut.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.kyt/
• Homophone: acutes

Adjective

acute

1. feminine singular of acut

Interlingua

Adjective

acute (not comparable)

1. acute

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?kute/

Adjective

acute

1. feminine plural of acuto

Anagrams

• caute

Latin

Participle

ac?te

1. vocative masculine singular of ac?tus

References

• acute in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• acute in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• acute in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette