sharp

Sharp

I

Sharp trademark
a brand (=type) of electronic products, that includes televisions, STEREO SYSTEMs, and DVD PLAYERs, made by the Japanese company Sharp

II

Sharp, Beck‧y /ˈbeki/
the main character in the book Vanity Fair(1847–48) by William Thackeray. She is a clever, attractive, and ambitious young woman (=someone who wants very much to become rich and successful), who treats people cruelly and unfairly to get what she wants.

III

Sharp, Ce‧cil /ˈsesəl, ˈsesɪl/
(1859–1924) an English folk musician. He started the English Folk Dance Society in 1911 and is famous for having saved a great deal of folk music from being forgotten.

sharp

I

sharp¹ S3 W2 /ʃɑːp $ ʃɑːrp/ adjective (comparative sharper, superlative sharpest)1.  ABLE TO CUT EASILY having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily
   OPP  blunt:
    Make sure you use a good sharp knife.
    Its teeth are razor sharp (=very sharp).
2.  TURN a sharp turn or bend changes direction suddenly:
    We came to a sharp bend in the road.
    sharp left/right
    Take a sharp left after the church.
3.  INCREASE/CHANGE a sharp increase, rise, fall etc happens suddenly and is great in amount
   SYN  steep:
    a sharp increase in prices
    a sharp fall in unemployment
4.  DIFFERENCE sharp differences are very big and very noticeable:
    sharp differences of opinion
    There is a sharp distinction between domestic and international politics.
    His honesty is in sharp contrast to (=very different from) some other politicians.
5.  PAIN/FEELINGS a sharp pain or feeling is sudden and severe
   OPP  dull:
    I felt a sharp pain in my back.
    I was left with a sharp sense of disappointment.
6.  DISAPPROVING speaking in a way that shows you disapprove of something or are annoyed
   OPP  mild:
    a sharp rebuke
    John’s tone was sharp.
    The boss can be very sharp with people when she’s busy.
    somebody has a sharp tongue (=they speak in a very disapproving way which often upsets people)
7.  INTELLIGENT able to think and understand things very quickly, and not easily deceived
   OPP  dull, stupid:
    a journalist with an extremely sharp mind
8. keep a sharp eye on somebody to watch someone very carefully, especially because you do not trust them:
    Keep a sharp eye on the kids at all times__
9.  PENCIL having a very thin point that can draw an exact line
   OPP  blunt:
    Make sure your pencils are sharp before we begin the test.
10.  SOUND a sharp sound or cry is loud, short, and sudden:
    a sharp cry of pain
    a sharp intake of breath
11.  TASTE having a slightly bitter taste
   OPP  mild:
    sharp cheddar cheese
    Add mustard to give the dressing a sharper taste.
12.  CLOTHES attractive and fashionable
   SYN  smart British English:
    Tod looked really sharp in his tux.
    a sharp suit
13.  SHAPE not rounded or curved:
    sharp features
    Her mother had a sharp little nose.
14.  IMAGE/PICTURE if an image or picture is sharp, you can see all the details very clearly
   OPP  fuzzy:
    The outlines of the trees were sharp and clear.
15.  GOOD AT NOTICING THINGS able to see and notice details very well
    a sharp eye for detail (=the ability to notice and deal with details)
16.  MUSIC
  a. F sharp/D sharp/C sharp etc a musical note that is sharp has been raised by one semitone from the note F, D, C etc
  b. if music or singing is sharp, it is played or sung at a slightly higher pitch than it should be ⇨ flat¹(9), natural¹(10)
17.  WEATHER sharp wind/frost a very cold wind or a severe frost:
    A sharp wind blew across the lake.
18. sharp practice British English behaviour, especially in business, that is dishonest but not illegal:
    He’s been guilty of sharp practice in the past.
19. be on the sharp end (of something) British English informal to experience the worst effects of something:
    We were always on the sharp end of clients’ complaints.
—sharpness noun [uncountable]
⇨ sharply
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ sharp having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily: a sharp knife | The dog’s teeth were very sharp. | Be careful. That knife’s very sharp. | You’ll need some sharp scissors. | Puppies mean to be playful, but their sharp teeth can give you a nasty bite.
   ▪ jagged having an irregular edge with a lot of sharp points: a jagged rock | The floor was covered with jagged pieces of glass.
   ▪ spiky having a lot of thin sharp points: a spiky cactus plant | The hedgehog uses its spiky fur for protection. | Some corals are quite smooth, others are sharp and spiky.
   ▪ prickly covered in a lot of small sharp points – used mainly about plants: a prickly bush | prickly leaves | The hedge was all prickly.
   ▪ serrated a serrated edge on a saw or knife has a lot of sharp points on it: It’s best to use a knife with a serrated edge.
   ▪ razor-sharp extremely sharp: The cat had razor-sharp claws.
■ not sharp
   ▪ blunt not sharp – used about tools, weapons, or pencils: All the kitchen knives were blunt. | a blunt pencil | The woman had been attacked with a blunt instrument.

II

sharp² adverb1. at ten thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp at exactly 10.30, 2.00 etc:
    We’re meeting at one thirty sharp.
2. sharp left/right British English if you turn sharp left or right, you make a sudden change of direction to the left or right:
    You turn sharp right at the crossroads.
3. look sharp British English old-fashioned used to tell someone to do something quickly:
    If you look sharp, you might catch him before he leaves for London.
4. played or sung at a slightly higher pitch than is correct ⇨ flat

III

sharp³ noun [countable]1. a musical note that has been raised one semitone above the note written
2. the sign (\#) in a line of written music, used to show that a musical note should be raised
⇨ flat²(3)