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acerbity (n.)
1570s, from French acerbité, from Latin acerbitatem (nominative acerbitas) "harshness, sharpness, bitterness, sourness," literal and figurative (as in virus acerbitatis "the poison of malice"), from acerbus "bitter to taste, sharp, sour, tart," from Proto-Italic *akro-po- "sharp" (from PIE root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce"). Earliest use in English is figurative, of "sharp and bitter" persons. Of tastes, from 1610s. Latin acerbus is related to acer "sharp" as superbus "haughty" to super "above."

updated on October 13, 2021
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Definitions of acerbity from WordNet
Dictionary entries near acerbity
acentric
-aceous
acephalous
acer
acerbic
acerbity
acervate
acervulus
acescent
acetaminophen
acetate