trenchant

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The Word of the Day for January 9 is:

trenchant   \TREN-chunt\   adjective 
     1 : keen, sharp
     2 : vigorously effective and articulate; also : caustic
     3 *a : sharply perceptive : penetrating  b : clear-cut, 
distinct

Example sentence:
     The great detective solved his cases by means of trenchant 
observation and reasoning, and every once in a while by means 
of plain old luck.

Did you know?
     The word "trenchant" comes from the Anglo-French 
verb "trencher," meaning "to cut," and may ultimately derive 
from the Vulgar Latin "trinicare," meaning "to cut in three." 
Hence, a trenchant sword is one with a keen edge; a trenchant 
remark is one that cuts deep; and a trenchant observation is 
one that cuts to the heart of the matter. Relatives 
of "trenchant" in English include the noun "trench" ("a long 
ditch cut into the ground") and the verb "retrench" ("to cut 
down or pare away" or "to cut down expenses").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.