Acerate
/ˈæs.ə.reɪt/noun
To make acid or sharp; also, in older scientific use, to treat with or form acetic acid.
Did you know?Acerate comes from the same ancient root behind Latin *acer* (“sharp, keen”), which also helped shape words for mental sharpness and intensity rather than anything occult.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ak-
“to be sharp, pointed”
Latin
Latin
acer
“sharp, keen, piercing”
Late Latin
Latin
acerare
“to make sharp or acid”
17th Century
English
acerate
“to make sharp or acid; in chemistry, to convert into acetic acid or an acetate”
Modern English
English
acerate
“to make acid or sharp, especially in older chemical usage”