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| poign·ant [ póynyənt ] |
adjective |
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| Definition: |
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1. causing sadness or pity: causing a sharp sense of sadness, pity, or regret
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2. sharply perceptive: particularly penetrating and effective or relevant
(
literary
)
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3. sharply painful: causing acute physical pain
(
literary
)
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4. strong smelling or tasting: having an often pleasurably strong sharp smell or taste
(
archaic
)
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| [14th century. < French, present participle of poindre "to prick" < Latin pungere "to prick, sting"] |
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  poign·ance noun |
| poign·an·cy noun |
| poign·ant·ly adverb |
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