acumen

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The Word of the Day for November 4 is:

acumen   \uh-KYOO-mun\   noun
     : keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or 
discrimination especially in practical matters

Example sentence:
     "For a man who was never in the country, and who did not 
evidently do much in the way of business, his knowledge and 
acumen were wonderful." (Bram Stoker, _Dracula_)

Did you know?
     A keen mind and a sharp wit can pierce the soul as easily 
as a needle passes through cloth. Remember the analogy between a 
jabbing needle and piercing perception, and you will readily 
recall the history of "acumen." Our English word retains the 
spelling and figurative meaning of its direct Latin ancestor, a 
term that literally meant "point." Latin "acumen" traces to the 
verb "acuere," which means "to sharpen" and which derives 
from "acus," the Latin word for "needle." In its first known 
English uses in the 1500s, "acumen" referred specifically to a 
sharpness of wit. In modern English, it conveys the sense that 
someone is perceptive enough to grasp a situation quickly and 
clever enough to use that discernment to good advantage.