What does cusped mean?
'Cusped' describes something that has one or more cusps — sharp points formed where two curves meet. The word belongs largely to specialist vocabularies: architects use it of Gothic windows and arches whose edges break into ornamental points, while mathematicians speak of cusped curves such as the cycloid or caustics in optics. In astronomy, the tapering horns of a crescent moon are said to be cusped. Derived ultimately from the Latin 'cuspis', meaning point or spear-tip, it shares its root with dental terms like 'bicuspid'. Because the underlying noun 'cusp' also names transition points in astrology and turning points in everyday language, 'cusped' can occasionally appear in those contexts too. Precise and evocative though somewhat formal, it is a useful word whenever exactness about shape matters.
adjectiveHaving one or more cusps — that is, points or projecting tips — as in certain geometric curves, Gothic arches and windows, or the tapered horns of a crescent moon.
- (Of an object, curve, or surface) having one or more cusps, i.e., sharp points where two arcs meet, as in Gothic tracery or mathematics.
- (Astronomy) situated at or forming a cusp, especially the tapering horn of a crescent moon or other illuminated body.
"The church's cusped windows are a hallmark of the Decorated Gothic style."
"The mathematician studied how light bends around the cusped edge of a caustic curve."
"Through her telescope she admired the delicate, cusped horns of the waxing crescent."
Every cusped Gothic window you've ever admired traces back to the same Latin word for a point that dentists still use to describe your teeth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cusped
The adjective 'cusped' derives from the noun 'cusp', which English borrowed in the late sixteenth century from Latin 'cuspis', meaning the point of a spear or a sharp tip. As Gothic architecture and conic geometry developed technical vocabularies, 'cusped' emerged as their natural adjectival form, describing arches, windows, and curves bearing such points. It shares this Latin root with 'bicuspid' and 'cuspidate', terms still common in dentistry and botany.
How cusped is actually used
A technical rather than everyday term, 'cusped' appears chiefly in architectural description, mathematics, and astronomy. It carries a neutral, descriptive connotation and is rarely used figuratively.
Easily confused with cusped
Despite the similar spelling and sound, 'cussed' means obstinate or ill-tempered, whereas 'cusped' means having points or cusps.