1. Dentistry any of the small elevations on the grinding or chewing surface of a tooth
2. Anatomy any of the triangular flaps of a heart valve
3. Geometry a point at which two arcs of a curve intersect and at which the two tangents are coincident
4. Architect a carving at the meeting place of two arcs
5. Astronomy either of the points of a crescent moon or of a satellite or inferior planet in a similar phase
6. Astrology any division between houses or signs of the zodiac
cusp Either of the tapering points of the crescent phase of the Moon, Venus, or Mercury.
The intersection of two arcs or foliations in a tracery; the figure formed by the intersection of tracery arcs or foliations.
Cusp (religion, spiritualism, and occult)
In astrology, cusp refers to two different but related divisions. First, a cusp is the dividing line separating a sign from its preceding sign. For example, someone born just prior to the Sun’s movement out of Cancer and into Leo is said to be “on the cusp of Leo” or “on the Cancer-Leo cusp.” Such an individual is said to manifest traits of both signs.
Second, the cusp is the dividing line separating a house from the preceding house. For example, if an individual’s seventh house begins at 10° Aries and ends at 13° Taurus, the person’s seventh house cusp is at 10° Aries. Planets located at end of one house so that they are very close (usually within 5°) to the next house are said to influence the affairs of both houses. Thus, to continue using the previous example, a natal Venus located at 8° Aries in the sixth house would exert—over and above its influence in the sixth house—an influence in the seventh house because it is only 2° away from the seventh-house cusp.
Brau, Jean-Louis, Helen Weaver, and Allan Edmands. Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology. New York: New American Library, 1980.
Leo, Alan. The Complete Dictionary of Astrology. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 1989.
A pointed or rounded projection on the masticating surface of a tooth.
One of the flaps of a heart valve.
A pointed projection or peak created by the intersection of two arcs.
One of a series of low, crescent-shaped mounds of beach material separated by smoothly curved, shallow troughs spaced at more or less regular intervals along and generally perpendicular to the beach face. Also known as beach cusp.
Any of the funnel-shaped regions in the magnetosphere extending from the front magnetopause to the polar ionosphere, and filled with solar wind plasma.
A singular point of a curve at which the limits of the tangents of the portions of the curve on either side of the point coincide. Also known as spinode.
types of cusps
1. The intersection of two arcs or foliations in a tracery.
The figure formed by the intersection of tracery arcs. Also see foil