Acute
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Of an abnormal condition of recent or sudden onset, in contrast to delayed onset; this sense does not imply severity (unlike the common usage).
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In general terms, acute can refer to:
- In medical terms, it is used to describe a disease, symptom, or condition that comes on rapidly and is severe or intense, but typically doesnt last for a long stretch of time.
- In geometry, it indicates an angle that is less than 90 degrees.
- In general use, it can describe something that is sharp or keen, such as acute intelligence or an acute sense of smell. It denotes a high level of severity or intensity.
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Acute often refers to something that is severe or intense but usually for a short period of time. It can relate to various contexts such as:
- Medicine: Describing an illness or symptom that has a sudden onset, progresses rapidly, and requires urgent care.
- Mathematics: Referring to an angle that is less than 90 degrees.
- General: Describing an observation or perception that is extremely perceptible or severe. Also, it might describe a situation or problem that requires immediate attention or action.
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sharp at the end; ending in a sharp point; pointed; -- opposed to blunt or obtuse; as, an acute angle; an acute leaf
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high, or shrill, in respect to some other sound; -- opposed to grave or low; as, an acute tone or accent
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attended with symptoms of some degree of severity, and coming speedily to a crisis; -- opposed to chronic; as, an acute disease
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In medicine, an acute disease is a disease with a rapid onset and/or a short course.
Acute may be used to distinguish a disease from a chronic form, such as acute leukemia and chronic leukemia, or to highlight the sudden onset of a disease, such as acute myocardial infarct. The word acute may also be used in the context of medicine to refer to the acute phase of injury, referring to the immediate post-injury healing processes. -
Terminating in a point, and opposed to obtuse. An acute angle
is less than a right one, or within 90°. -
pointed: terminating in or forming less than a right angle.
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a mark () placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
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Acute refers to something that is severe and sudden in onset but typically of short duration. It can refer to the intensity or severity of symptoms in healthcare settings, the urgency of certain situations, or the angles less than 90 degrees in geometry.
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Acute refers to something that is severe and sudden in onset but typically of short duration. It can refer to the intensity or severity of symptoms in healthcare settings, the urgency of certain situations, or the angles less than 90 degrees in geometry.
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ak-ūt′, adj. sharp-pointed: keen: opp. of dull: shrewd: shrill: critical.—adv. Acute′ly.—n. Acute′ness.—Acute angle, an angle less than a right angle (see Angle); Acute disease, one coming to a violent crisis, as opp. to Chronic. [L. acutus, pa.p. of acuĕre, to sharpen, from root ak, sharp.]
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