Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - sharp

~1 adj 1 »ABLE TO CUT« having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily  (Peel the apples using a sharp knife. | The metal was jagged with lots of sharp edges. | razor sharp (=very sharp))  (- opposite blunt1 (1)) 2 »SOUNDS« loud, short, and sudden  (The branch broke with a sharp crack. | a sharp cry of pain) 3 »TASTE« having a slightly bitter taste  (Add mustard to give the dressing a sharper taste.) 4 »DIRECTION« a sudden extreme change of direction  (sharp bend/turn)  (We came to a sharp bend in the road. | sharp left/right)  (Take a sharp left after the church.) 5 »PAIN« sudden and severe  (I felt a sharp pain in my back.)  (- see graph at pain1) 6 »REMARK« severe, angry, and criticizing  (a sharp rebuke | John's tone was sharp. | be sharp with sb)  (The boss can be very sharp with people when she's busy.) 7 have a sharp tongue to often talk to people in an angry, unkind, or criticizing way 8 »PEOPLE« able to think and understand things very quickly, and not easily deceived  (a journalist with an extremely sharp mind) 9 »EYES« able to see and notice details very well  (a sharp eye for detail (=the ability to notice and deal with details)) 10 keep a sharp eye on sb to watch someone very carefully, especially because you do not trust them  (Keep a sharp eye on the kids at all times!) 11 »PENCIL« having a very thin point, that can draw an exact line  (- opposite blunt1 (1)) 12 »SHAPE« not rounded or curved; angular  (Janice had the same sharp features as her mother.) 13 »CHANGE« a sharp increase, rise etc is very sudden and very big  (a sharp increase in prices) 14 »DIFFERENCE« clear and definite, so that there is no doubt  (The distinction between public and private services is much less sharp here. | in sharp contrast (=very different from someone or something else))  (Keele wore a smart suit, in sharp contrast to everyone's else's casual attire.) 15 »PICTURE/IMAGES« having a shape that is clear and detailed  (The outlines of the cypress trees were sharp and clear.) 16 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 pitch2 (3) than it should be 17 »MOVEMENT« quick and sudden  (The wind blew across the lake in sharp gusts. | a sharp intake of breath) 18 »FEELINGS« very strong and unexpected  (I was left with a sharp sense of disappointment.) 19 sharp practice behaviour, especially in business, that is dishonest but not illegal 20 a sharp frost a very cold severe frost1 (1) 21 be on the sharp end of sth to experience the worst effects of something  (We were always on the sharp end of clients' complaints.) 22 sb looks sharp AmE if someone looks sharp, they are dressed well and attractively; smart1 (2) especially BrE  (Tod looked really sharp in his tux.) - sharpness n  (- see also sharply) ~2 adv 1 at ten-thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp at exactly 10.30, 2.00 etc  (We're meeting at 10 o'clock sharp.) 2 sharp left/right 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 spoken a) BrE used to tell someone to do something quickly  (If you look sharp you might catch him before he leaves for London.) b) especially AmE used to warn someone about something  (Look sharp, the boss is coming!) 4 played or sung at a slightly higher pitch2 (3) than is correct ~3 n 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 this