Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

3 ADJ If a person's or animal's sight, hearing, or sense of smell is acute , it is sensitive and powerful. □  In the dark my sense of hearing becomes so acute.

4 ADJ An acute angle is less than 90°. Compare obtuse angle.

5 ADJ [ADJ n, n ADJ ] An acute accent is a symbol that is placed over vowels in some languages in order to indicate how that vowel is pronounced or over one letter in a word to indicate where it is stressed. You refer to a letter with this accent as, for example, e acute . For example, there is an acute accent over the letter 'e' in the French word 'café'.

acute|ly /əkjuː tli/

1 ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] If you feel or notice something acutely , you feel or notice it very strongly. □  He was acutely aware of the odour of cooking oil.

2 ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] If a feeling or quality is acutely unpleasant, it is extremely unpleasant. □  It was an acutely uncomfortable journey back to London.

ad ◆◇◇ /æ d/ (ads ) N‑COUNT An ad is an advertisement. [INFORMAL ] □  She replied to a lonely hearts ad.

AD /e I diː / You use AD in dates to indicate the number of years or centuries that have passed since the year in which Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. Compare BC . □  The cathedral was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1136 AD. □  The Roman Empire was divided in the fourth century AD.

ad|age /æ d I dʒ/ (adages ) N‑COUNT An adage is something which people often say and which expresses a general truth about some aspect of life. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □  …the old adage, 'Every baby brings its own love'.

ada|gio /ədɑː dʒioʊ, [AM ] -dʒoʊ/ (adagios )

1 ADV [ADV after v] Adagio written above a piece of music means that it should be played slowly.

2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] An adagio is a piece of music that is played slowly. □  …Samuel Barber's Adagio For Strings. □  …the Adagio movement of his Sixth Symphony.

ada|mant /æ dəmənt/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , oft ADJ that] If someone is adamant about something, they are determined not to change their mind about it. □  The prime minister is adamant that he will not resign. □ [+ about ] Sue was adamant about that job in Australia. ●  ada|mant|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □  She was adamantly opposed to her husband travelling to Brussels.

Adam's ap|ple /æ d ^ə mz æ p ^ə l/ (Adam's apples ) N‑COUNT Your Adam's apple is the lump that sticks out of the front of your neck below your throat.

a|dapt /ədæ pt/ (adapts , adapting , adapted )

1 VERB If you adapt to a new situation or adapt yourself to it, you change your ideas or behaviour in order to deal with it successfully. □ [V + to ] The world will be different, and we will have to be prepared to adapt to the change. □ [V pron-refl + to ] They have had to adapt themselves to a war economy. [Also V ]

2 VERB If you adapt something, you change it to make it suitable for a new purpose or situation. □ [V n] Shelves were built to adapt the library for use as an office. [Also V n + to ]

3 VERB If you adapt a book or play, you change it so that it can be made into a film or a television programme. □ [V n] The scriptwriter helped him to adapt his novel for the screen. □ [be V -ed] The film has been adapted from a play of the same title.

4 → see also adapted

adapt|able /ədæ ptəb ^ə l/ ADJ If you describe a person or animal as adaptable , you mean that they are able to change their ideas or behaviour in order to deal with new situations. □  …a more adaptable and skilled workforce. ●  adapt|abil|ity /ədæ ptəb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The adaptability of wool is one of its great attractions.

ad|ap|ta|tion /æ dæpte I ʃ ^ə n/ (adaptations )