Advertisement

Origin and history of sharp-shinned

sharp-shinned(adj.)

1704, of persons, "having slender shanks," 1813 of hawks; see sharp (adj.) + shin (n.).

also from 1704

Entries linking to sharp-shinned

sharp(adj.)

Old English scearp "having a cutting edge; pointed; intellectually acute, active, shrewd; keen (of senses); severe; biting, bitter (of tastes)," from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, literally "cutting" (source also of Old Saxon scarp, Old Norse skarpr, Old Frisian skerp, Dutch scherp, German scharf "sharp"), from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut" (source also of Lettish skarbs "sharp," Middle Irish cerb "cutting").

The figurative meaning "acute or penetrating in intellect or perception" was in Old English; hence "keenly alive to one's own interests, quick to take advantage" (1690s). Of words or talk, "cutting, sarcastic," from early 13c. Meaning "distinct in contour" is from 1670s. The musical meaning "half step above (a given tone)" is from 1570s. Meaning "stylish" is from 1944, hepster slang, from earlier general slang sense of "excellent" (1940). Phrase sharp as a tack first recorded 1912 (sharp as a needle has been around since Old English). Sharp-shinned attested from 1704 of persons, 1813 of hawks.

shin(n.)

Middle English shin, from Old English scinu "fore part of the leg below the knee; shinbone," from Proto-Germanic *skino "thin piece" (source also of Dutch scheen, Middle Low German schene, Old High German scina "shin," German Schienbein "shin, shinbones"), from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split." Shinbone, shin-bone is Old English scinban. Shin splints is attested by that name from 1930.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    acerbity
    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")....The 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."...
    acrid
    1712, "sharp and bitter to the taste," formed irregularly (perhaps by influence of acrimonious) from Latin acer (fem. acris...) "sharp to the senses, pungent, bitter; eager, fierce," also figuratively, of qualities, "active, ardent, spirited," also..."hasty, quick, passionate;" of mind "violent, vehement; subtle, penetrating," from PIE *akri- "sharp," from root *ak- "be...sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce."...
    acrimony
    1540s, "quality of being sharp or pungent in taste," from French acrimonie or directly from Latin acrimonia "sharpness, pungency...of taste," figuratively "acrimony, severity, energy," abstract noun from acer "sharp" (fem. acris), from PIE root *ak- "...be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce") + -monia suffix of action, state, condition (see -mony)....
    acute
    late 14c., originally of fevers and diseases, "coming quickly to a crisis" (opposed to chronic), from Latin acutus "sharp...penetrating; intelligent, cunning," past participle of acuere "to sharpen" (literal and figurative), from PIE root *ak- "be sharp...The meaning "ending in a sharp point" is from 1560s; the sense of "sharp or penetrating in intellect" is from 1580s....
    beetle
    (in "Hamlet," 1602) from beetle-browed, from Middle English bitelbrouwed "grim-browed, sullen" (mid-14c.), from bitel "sharp-edged..., sharp" (c. 1200), probably a compound from Old English *bitol "biting, sharp" (related to bite (v.)), + brow, which in...
    snag
    branch," a word of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse snagi "clothes peg," snaga "a kind of ax," snag-hyrndr "with sharp...The connecting notion seems to be "sharp protuberance, projecting point."...The general meaning, in reference to any sharp or jagged projection is recorded from 1580s; especially "tree or part of a...
    perspicacious
    "sharp-sighted," also "of acute mental discernment," 1630s, formed as an adjective to perspicacity, from Latin perspicax..."sharp-sighted, having the power of seeing through; acute," from perspicere "look through, look closely at," from per "through...
    affidavit
    "written declaration upon an oath," 1590s, from Medieval Latin affidavit, literally "he has stated on oath," third person singular perfective of affidare "to trust; to make an oath," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + fidare "to trust," from fidus "faithful" (from PIE root *bheidh- "
    promulgate
    "make known by open declaration, publish, announce" (a decree, news, etc.), 1520s, from Latin promulgatus, past participle of promulgare "make publicly known, propose openly, publish," probably from pro "forth" (see pro-) + mulgere "to milk" (see milk (n.)), used metaphorically f
    cereal
    1832, "grass yielding edible grain and cultivated for food," originally an adjective (1818) "having to do with edible grain," from French céréale (16c., "of Ceres;" 18c. in grain sense), from Latin Cerealis "of grain," originally "of Ceres," from Ceres, Italic goddess of agricult

    Share sharp-shinned

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near sharp-shinned
    Advertisement