acerb


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a·cer·bic

 (ə-sûr′bĭk) also a·cerb (ə-sûrb′)
adj.
1. Sour or bitter tasting; acid. See Synonyms at bitter, sour.
2. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression: "At times, the playwright allows an acerbic tone to pierce through otherwise arid or flowery prose" (Alvin Klein).

[From Latin acerbus; see ak- in Indo-European roots.]

a·cer′bi·cal·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

a•cer•bic

(əˈsɜr bɪk)

adj.
1. sour or astringent in taste.
2. sharply or bitterly severe, as temper or expression.
[1860–65; < Latin acerb(us) sour, unripe + -ic]
a•cer′bi•cal•ly, adv.
a•cer′bi•ty, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.acerb - sour or bitter in tasteacerb - sour or bitter in taste    
sour - having a sharp biting taste
2.acerb - harsh or corrosive in toneacerb - 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"
unpleasant - disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings ; "an unpleasant personality"; "unpleasant repercussions"; "unpleasant odors"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

acerb

adjective
Having a taste characteristic of that produced by acids:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
kitkeräpureva
acerbus

acerbic

, acerb
a. agrio-a, ácido-a, áspero-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in periodicals archive ?
Ajak is known for his anti-war activism and acerb criticism for President Salva Kiir and the SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar.
Once the trees leave the hometown, the fruit becomes bitter and acerb. In the second stanza, the Qu praises the internal virtue of the orange tree and expresses his admiration to it, saying that he wanted to plant the orange tree as a model for himself.
Having dropped out of school and been kicked out by his parents, Thomas eventually finds himself institutionalized, his breakaway precipitating a sometimes acerb, sometimes giddy breakdown.