acuminate vs taper

acuminate is not a noun while taper is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
acuminate	No	Yes	Yes	No
taper	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, taper is a hypernym of acuminate; that is, taper is a word with a broader meaning than acuminate:

Other hypernyms of acuminate include point, sharpen.

acuminate (noun)	taper (noun)
	stick of wax with a wick in the middle
	a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame
	the property possessed by a shape that narrows toward a point (as a wedge or cone)
	a convex shape that narrows toward a point

acuminate (adjective)	taper (adjective)
(of a leaf shape) narrowing to a slender point

acuminate (verb)	taper (verb)
make sharp or acute; taper; make (something) come to a point	give a point to
	diminish gradually