1. [n]  a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
2. [adj]  (medicine) having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; "acute appendicitis"; "the acute phase of the illness"; "acute patients"
3. [adj]  of critical importance and consequence; "an acute (or critical) lack of research funds"
4. [adj]  extremely sharp or intense; "acute pain"; "felt acute annoyance"; "intense itching and burning"
5. [adj]  having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations"
6. [adj]  ending in a sharp point
7. [adj]  of an angle; less than 90 degrees

ACUTE is a 5 letter word that starts with A.

1. \A*cute"\, a. [L. acutus, p. p. of acuere to sharpen, fr.
   a root ak to be sharp. Cf. {Ague}, {Cute}, {Edge}.]
   1. Sharp at the end; ending in a sharp point; pointed; --
      opposed to {blunt} or {obtuse}; as, an acute angle; an
      acute leaf.
   2. Having nice discernment; perceiving or using minute
      distinctions; penetrating; clever; shrewd; -- opposed to
      {dull} or {stupid}; as, an acute observer; acute remarks,
      or reasoning.
   3. Having nice or quick sensibility; susceptible to slight
      impressions; acting keenly on the senses; sharp; keen;
      intense; as, a man of acute eyesight, hearing, or feeling;
      acute pain or pleasure.
   4. High, or shrill, in respect to some other sound; --
      opposed to {grave} or {low}; as, an acute tone or accent.
   5. (Med.) Attended with symptoms of some degree of severity,
      and coming speedily to a crisis; -- opposed to {chronic};
      as, an acute disease.
   {Acute angle} (Geom.), an angle less than a right angle.
   Syn: Subtile; ingenious; sharp; keen; penetrating; sagacious;
        sharp-witted; shrewd; discerning; discriminating. See
        {Subtile}.
   

2. \A*cute"\, v. t.
   To give an acute sound to; as, he acutes his rising
   inflection too much. [R.] --Walker.
   

1. Terminating in a distinct but not protracted point, the converging edges separated by an angle less than 90°.
2. Used to describe a short-term infection or disease which is characterized by dramatic onset and rapid recovery.