cusp Hear it!

cusp definition

cusp (kusp)

noun

  1. a point or pointed end; apex; peak
  2. Anat.
    1. any of the elevations on the chewing surface of a tooth
    2. any of the triangular flaps of a heart valve
  3. Archit. a projecting point where two arcs meet, as in the internal curve of an arc
  4. Astrol. the transitional part of a sign or house
  5. Astron. either horn of a crescent, as of the moon
  6. Geom. the tip of a pointed curve

Etymology: L cuspis (gen. cuspidis), point, pointed end, spear

cusp Idioms

on the cusp

  1. Astrol. at or during a cusp (sense )
  2. at or during a time of transition, as the moment of or just before a major change or event

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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