From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Sharp \Sharp\, a. [Compar. Sharper; superl. Sharpest.] [OE. sharp, scharp, scarp, AS. scearp; akin to OS. skarp, LG. scharp, D. scherp, G. scharf, Dan. & Sw. skarp, Icel. skarpr. Cf. Escarp, Scrape, Scorpion.] 1. Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen. [1913 Webster] He dies upon my scimeter's sharp point. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded; somewhat pointed or edged; peaked or ridged; as, a sharp hill; sharp features. [1913 Webster] 3. Affecting the sense as if pointed or cutting, keen, penetrating, acute: to the taste or smell, pungent, acid, sour, as ammonia has a sharp taste and odor; to the hearing, piercing, shrill, as a sharp sound or voice; to the eye, instantaneously brilliant, dazzling, as a sharp flash. [1913 Webster] 4. (Mus.) (a) High in pitch; acute; as, a sharp note or tone. (b) Raised a semitone in pitch; as, C sharp (C[sharp]), which is a half step, or semitone, higher than C. (c) So high as to be out of tune, or above true pitch; as, the tone is sharp; that instrument is sharp. Opposed in all these senses to flat. [1913 Webster] 5. Very trying to the feelings; piercing; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air. [1913 Webster] Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. --Shak. [1913 Webster] The morning sharp and clear. --Cowper. [1913 Webster] In sharpest perils faithful proved. --Keble. [1913 Webster] 6. Cutting in language or import; biting; sarcastic; cruel; harsh; rigorous; severe; as, a sharp rebuke. "That sharp look." --Tennyson. [1913 Webster] To that place the sharp Athenian law Can not pursue us. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Be thy words severe, Sharp as merits but the sword forbear. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 7. Of keen perception; quick to discern or distinguish; having nice discrimination; acute; penetrating; sagacious; clever; as, a sharp eye; sharp sight, hearing, or judgment. [1913 Webster] Nothing makes men sharper . . . than want. --Addison. [1913 Webster] Many other things belong to the material world, wherein the sharpest philosophers have never ye? arrived at clear and distinct ideas. --L. Watts. [1913 Webster] 8. Eager in pursuit; keen in quest; impatient for gratification; keen; as, a sharp appetite. [1913 Webster] 9. Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous. "In sharp contest of battle." --Milton. [1913 Webster] A sharp assault already is begun. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 10. Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interest; close and exact in dealing; shrewd; as, a sharp dealer; a sharp customer. [1913 Webster] The necessity of being so sharp and exacting. --Swift. [1913 Webster] 11. Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty; as, sharp sand. --Moxon. [1913 Webster] 12. Steep; precipitous; abrupt; as, a sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve. [1913 Webster] 13. (Phonetics) Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone, without voice, as certain consonants, such as p, k, t, f; surd; nonvocal; aspirated. [1913 Webster] Note: Sharp is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, sharp-cornered, sharp-edged, sharp-pointed, sharp-tasted, sharp-visaged, etc. [1913 Webster] Sharp practice, the getting of an advantage, or the attempt to do so, by a tricky expedient. To brace sharp, or To sharp up (Naut.), to turn the yards to the most oblique position possible, that the ship may lie well up to the wind. [1913 Webster] Syn: Keen; acute; piercing; penetrating; quick; sagacious; discerning; shrewd; witty; ingenious; sour; acid; tart; pungent; acrid; severe; poignant; biting; acrimonious; sarcastic; cutting; bitter; painful; afflictive; violent; harsh; fierce; ardent; fiery. [1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Sharp \Sharp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sharped; p. pr. & vb. n. Sharping.] 1. To sharpen. [Obs.] --Spenser. [1913 Webster] 2. (Mus.) To raise above the proper pitch; to elevate the tone of; especially, to raise a half step, or semitone, above the natural tone. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Sharp \Sharp\, v. i. 1. To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster] 2. (Mus.) To sing above the proper pitch. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Sharp \Sharp\, adv. 1. To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply. --M. Arnold. [1913 Webster] The head [of a spear] full sharp yground. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] You bite so sharp at reasons. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Precisely; exactly; as, we shall start at ten o'clock sharp. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] Look sharp, attend; be alert. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Sharp \Sharp\, n. 1. A sharp tool or weapon. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] If butchers had but the manners to go to sharps, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs. --Collier. [1913 Webster] 2. (Mus.) (a) The character [[sharp]] used to indicate that the note before which it is placed is to be raised a half step, or semitone, in pitch. (b) A sharp tone or note. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. A portion of a stream where the water runs very rapidly. [Prov. Eng.] --C. Kingsley. [1913 Webster] 4. A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps. [1913 Webster] 5. pl. Same as Middlings, 1. [1913 Webster] 6. An expert. [Slang] [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: sharp adv 1: changing suddenly in direction and degree; "the road twists sharply after the light"; "turn sharp left here"; "the visor was acutely peaked"; "her shoes had acutely pointed toes" [syn: sharply, sharp, acutely] adj 1: (of something seen or heard) clearly defined; "a sharp photographic image"; "the sharp crack of a twig"; "the crisp snap of dry leaves underfoot" [syn: crisp, sharp] 2: ending in a sharp point [syn: acuate, acute, sharp, needlelike] 3: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations" [syn: acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp] 4: marked by practical hardheaded intelligence; "a smart businessman"; "an astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease"; "he was too shrewd to go along with them on a road that could lead only to their overthrow" [syn: astute, sharp, shrewd] 5: harsh; "sharp criticism"; "a sharp-worded exchange"; "a tart remark" [syn: sharp, sharp-worded, tart] 6: having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones ; "a shrill whistle"; "a shrill gaiety" [syn: shrill, sharp] 7: extremely steep; "an abrupt canyon"; "the precipitous rapids of the upper river"; "the precipitous hills of Chinese paintings"; "a sharp drop" [syn: abrupt, precipitous, sharp] 8: keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point; "a sharp pain"; "sharp winds" [ant: dull] 9: having or made by a thin edge or sharp point; suitable for cutting or piercing; "a sharp knife"; "a pencil with a sharp point" [ant: dull] 10: (of a musical note) raised in pitch by one chromatic semitone; "C sharp" [ant: flat, natural] 11: very sudden and in great amount or degree; "a sharp drop in the stock market" 12: quick and forceful; "a sharp blow" n 1: a musical notation indicating one half step higher than the note named 2: a long thin sewing needle with a sharp point From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008) [foldoc]: sharp <character> hash.