Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having a cusp.
  • adjective Biology Terminating in or tipped with a sharp firm point.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make cuspidate or pointed; sharpen.
  • Furnished with or ending in a cusp or cuspis: mucronate: as, cuspidate leaves (leaves tipped with a sharp rigid point or spine, as in thistles).
  • Specifically, having a single cusp, as a canine tooth.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having a sharp end, like the point of a spear; terminating in a hard point.
  • transitive verb To make pointed or sharp.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having a cusp
  • adjective botany, of a leaf Tapering to a sharp, firm point

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having cusps or points

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin cuspidātus, past participle of cuspidāre, to make pointed, from cuspis, cuspid-, point.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin cuspidatus.

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Examples

  • Resveratrol comes from grapes (hence the benefit of red wine), peanuts, berries, and a Chinese herb called hu zhang (polygonum cuspidate, also known as giant knotweed, which is a common ingredient in many Chinese herbal formulas).

    The UltraMind Solution M.D. Mark Hyman 2009

  • If the mitral cuspidate valves do not prevent the egress of fuliginous vapours to the lungs, how should they oppose the escape of air?

    On the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals 2005

  • The _first glume_ is half of the third glume, thin, membranous, hairy, broadly ovate, abruptly cuspidate at the apex, and acuminate, 5-nerved (rarely 3-nerved).

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • The _fourth glume_ is coriaceous, broadly ovate, tip acutely pointed and almost cuspidate or acute, mucronate, white or brownish, reticulately minutely pitted.

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • If the mitral cuspidate valves do not prevent the egress of fuliginous vapours to the lungs, how should they oppose the escape of air?

    The Harvard Classics Volume 38 Scientific Papers (Physiology, Medicine, Surgery, Geology) Various

  • The _fourth glume_ is chartaceous, shining, smooth ovate-oblong, apex cuspidate, with a few hairs on the edges at the apex, faintly 5-nerved.

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • The _second glume_ is as long as the third, broadly ovate, cuspidate, 5-nerved sometimes with two partial nerves added one on each side of the central vein, pubescent between the veins and hispid on the veins.

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • The _second glume_ is broadly ovate acute, rather cuspidate, usually 5-nerved (rarely 7-nerved).

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • The _fourth glume_ is smooth, shining, broadly oblong, faintly 5-nerved, apex rounded or cuspidate with a few cilia; paleate with a single bisexual flower; _palea_ is similar to the glume in structure.

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • The first glume is coriaceous, oblong or lanceolate, convex more or less, marginally winged above the middle, truncate or two-cuspidate at the apex and awnless.

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

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  • to make a point - N.B. not cupidate

    March 22, 2012