incisive

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   suitable for cutting or piercing

   Incisive teeth.

2. 2
   adj

   Quickly proceeding to judgment and forceful in expression. (of an action)

   An incisive producer, who expressed vehement disapproval with my pitch upon my first sentence.

3. 3
   adj

   Having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument; trenchant.

   An incisive, high voice.

4. 4
   adj

   Of or relating to the incisors.

   The incisive bones, the premaxillaries.

Late Middle English (in the sense “cutting, penetrating”), borrowed from Medieval Latin incīsīvus, from incīdō (“to cut in, cut through”) + -īvus (“-ive”, adjectival suffix). Compare Middle French incisif.

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