‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; border. ] (Zool.) A group of acalephs, including most of the larger jellyfishes; the Discophora. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ . a- + gasp. ] In a state of gasping. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) Same as Aspen. “Trembling poplar or asp.” Martyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aspis, fr. Gr. 'aspi`s: cf. OF. aspe, F. aspic. ] (Zool.) A small, hooded, poisonous serpent of Egypt and adjacent countries, whose bite is often fatal. It is the Naja haje. The name is also applied to other poisonous serpents, esp. to Vipera aspis of southern Europe. See Haje. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ AS. æsp, æps; akin to OHG. aspa, Icel. ösp, Dan. æsp, Sw. asp, D. esp, G. espe, äspe, aspe; cf. Lettish apsa, Lith. apuszis. ] (Bot.) One of several species of poplar bearing this name, especially the Populus tremula, so called from the trembling of its leaves, which move with the slightest impulse of the air. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. aspalathus, Gr. &unr_;. ] (Bot.) (a) A thorny shrub yielding a fragrant oil. Ecclus. xxiv. 15. (b) A genus of plants of the natural order Leguminosæ. The species are chiefly natives of the Cape of Good Hope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 one of many families or subfamilies into which some classification systems subdivide the Liliaceae: includes genera Asparagus and sometimes Ruscus.
Syn. -- family Asparagaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. asparagine. ] (Chem.) A white, nitrogenous, crystallizable substance, C4H8N2O3+H2O, found in many plants, and first obtained from asparagus. It is believed to aid in the disposition of nitrogenous matter throughout the plant; -- called also altheine. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining or allied to, or resembling, asparagus; having shoots which are eaten like asparagus; as, asparaginous vegetables. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. 'aspa`ragos, 'asfa`ragos; cf. sparga^n to swell with sap or juice, and Zend çparegha prong, sprout, Pers. asparag, Lith. spurgas sprout, Skr. sphurj to swell. Perh. the Greek borrowed from the Persian. Cf. Sparrowgrass. ] 1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial plants belonging to the natural order Liliaceæ, and having erect much branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are sometimes mistaken for leaves. Asparagus racemosus is a shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Specifically: The Asparagus officinalis, a species cultivated in gardens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The young and tender shoots of Asparagus officinalis, which form a valuable and well-known article of food. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to uneducated people. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asparagus beetle (Zool.), a small beetle (Crioceris asparagi) injurious to asparagus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an artificial sweetener containing an aspartic acid peptide, (C14H18N2O5); it is 160 times sweeter than sucrose (cane sugar) and is used as a calorie-free sweetener. Chemically it is N-L-α-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester. It is sold also under the trade name Equal. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived, asparagine; as, aspartic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aspectus, fr. aspicere, aspectum, to look at; ad + spicere, specere, to look, akin to E. spy. ] 1. The act of looking; vision; gaze; glance. [ R. ] “The basilisk killeth by aspect.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

His aspect was bent on the ground. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Look, or particular appearance of the face; countenance; mien; air. “Serious in aspect.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Craggs ] with aspect open shall erect his head. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Appearance to the eye or the mind; look; view. “The aspect of affairs.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The true aspect of a world lying in its rubbish. T. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Position or situation with regard to seeing; that position which enables one to look in a particular direction; position in relation to the points of the compass; as, a house has a southern aspect, that is, a position which faces the south. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Prospect; outlook. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This town affords a good aspect toward the hill from whence we descended. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Astrol.) The situation of planets or stars with respect to one another, or the angle formed by the rays of light proceeding from them and meeting at the eye; the joint look of planets or stars upon each other or upon the earth. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The aspects which two planets can assume are five; sextile, &unr_;, when the planets are 60° apart; quartile, or quadrate, &unr_;, when their distance is 90° or the quarter of a circle; trine, &unr_;, when the distance is 120°; opposition, &unr_;, when the distance is 180°, or half a circle; and conjunction, &unr_;, when they are in the same degree. Astrology taught that the aspects of the planets exerted an influence on human affairs, in some situations for good and in others for evil. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Astrol.) The influence of the stars for good or evil; as, an ill aspect. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The astrologers call the evil influences of the stars evil aspects. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Aëronautics) A view of a plane from a given direction, usually from above; more exactly, the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current. If an immersed plane meets a current of fluid long side foremost, or in broadside aspect, it sustains more pressure than when placed short side foremost. Hence, long narrow wings are more effective than short broad ones of the same area. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Aspect of a plane (Geom.), the direction of the plane. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. aspectare, v. intens. of aspicere. See Aspect, n. ] To behold; to look at. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aspectabilis. ] Capable of being; visible. “The aspectable world.” Ray. “Aspectable stars.” Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Facing each other. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having an aspect. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aspectio, fr. aspicere to look at. ] The act of viewing; a look. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Aëronautics) The ratio of the long to the short side of an aëroplane, aërocurve, or wing. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of or pertaining to the aspen, or resembling it; made of aspen wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor aspen leaves confess the gentlest breeze. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. aspre, OF. aspre, F. âpre, fr. L. asper rough. ] Rough; rugged; harsh; bitter; stern; fierce. [ Archaic ] “An asper sound.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. spiritus asper rough breathing. ] (Greek Gram.) The rough breathing; a mark (&asper_;) placed over an initial vowel sound or over ρ to show that it is aspirated, that is, pronounced with h before it; thus "ws, pronounced "rh`twr, pronounced [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n. [ F. aspre or It. aspro, fr. MGr. 'a`spron, 'a`spros, white (prob. from the whiteness of new silver coins). ] A Turkish money of account (formerly a coin), of little value; the 120th part of a piaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Asperated; p. pr. & vb. n. Asperating. ] [ L. asperatus, p. p. of asperare, fr. asper rough. ] To make rough or uneven. [ 1913 Webster ]

The asperated part of its surface. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of asperating; a making or becoming rough. Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., Thou shalt sprinkle. ] (R. C. Ch.) (a) The service or ceremony of sprinkling with holy water. (b) The brush or instrument used in sprinkling holy water; an aspergill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Aspergillum + -form. ] (Bot.) Resembling the aspergillum in form; as, an aspergilliform stigma. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. [ LL. aspergillum, fr. L. aspergere. See Asperse, v. t. ] 1. The brush used in the Roman Catholic church for sprinkling holy water on the people. [ Also written aspergillus. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) See Wateringpot shell. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. asper rough + folium leaf. ] (Bot.) Having rough leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ By some applied to the natural order now called Boraginaceæ or borageworts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Asperities [ L. asperitas, fr. asper rough: cf. F. aspérité. ] 1. Roughness of surface; unevenness; -- opposed to smoothness. “The asperities of dry bodies.” Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Roughness or harshness of sound; that quality which grates upon the ear; raucity. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Roughness to the taste; sourness; tartness. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Moral roughness; roughness of manner; severity; crabbedness; harshness; -- opposed to mildness. “Asperity of character.” Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Sharpness; disagreeableness; difficulty. [ 1913 Webster ]

The acclivities and asperities of duty. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Acrimony; moroseness; crabbedness; harshness; sourness; tartness. See Acrimony. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_;, &unr_;, seed. ] (Bot.) Aspermous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'a priv. + &unr_; seed. ] (Bot.) Destitute of seeds; aspermatous. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. aspernari; a (ab) + spernari. ] To spurn; to despise. [ Obs. ] Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Asper, a. ] Rough; uneven. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Aspersed p. pr. & vb. n. Aspersing. ] [ L. aspersus, p. p. of aspergere to scatter, sprinkle; ad + spargere to strew. See Sparse. ] 1. To sprinkle, as water or dust, upon anybody or anything, or to besprinkle any one with a liquid or with dust. Heywood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bespatter with foul reports or false and injurious charges; to tarnish in point of reputation or good name; to slander or calumniate; as, to asperse a poet or his writings; to asperse a man's character. [ 1913 Webster ]

With blackest crimes aspersed. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To slander; defame; detract from; calumniate; vilify. -- To Asperse, Defame, Slander, Calumniate. These words have in common the idea of falsely assailing the character of another. To asperse is figuratively to cast upon a character hitherto unsullied the imputation of blemishes or faults which render it offensive or loathsome. To defame is to detract from a man's honor and reputation by charges calculated to load him with infamy. Slander (etymologically the same as scandal) and calumniate, from the Latin, have in common the sense of circulating reports to a man's injury from unworthy or malicious motives. Men asperse their neighbors by malignant insinuations; they defame by advancing charges to blacken or sully their fair fame; they slander or calumniate by spreading injurious reports which are false, or by magnifying slight faults into serious errors or crimes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. (Her.) Having an indefinite number of small charges scattered or strewed over the surface. Cussans. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Bespattered; slandered; calumniated. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who asperses; especially, one who vilifies another. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aspersio, fr. aspergere: cf. F. aspersion. ] 1. A sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

Behold an immersion, not and aspersion. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The spreading of calumniations reports or charges which tarnish reputation, like the bespattering of a body with foul water; calumny. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every candid critic would be ashamed to cast wholesale aspersions on the entire body of professional teachers. Grote. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who would by base aspersions blot thy virtue. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to asperse; defamatory; slanderous. -- As*pers"ive*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

‖n. [ F. ] An aspergill. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Aspersoria [ LL. See Asperse. ] 1. The stoup, basin, or other vessel for holy water in Roman Catholic churches. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brush for sprinkling holy water; an aspergill. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cover with asphalt; as, to asphalt a roof; asphalted streets. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Asphalt. ] Asphaltic mastic or cement. See Asphalt, 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing, asphalt; bituminous. “Asphaltic pool.” “Asphaltic slime.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Asphaltic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Asphaltic. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Gr. &unr_;, of eastern origin: cf. F. asphalte. ] 1. Mineral pitch, Jews' pitch, or compact native bitumen. It is brittle, of a black or brown color and high luster on a surface of fracture; it melts and burns when heated, leaving no residue. It occurs on the surface and shores of the Dead Sea, which is therefore called Asphaltites, or the Asphaltic Lake. It is found also in many parts of Asia, Europe, and America. See Bitumen. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A composition of bitumen, pitch, lime, and gravel, used for forming pavements, and as a water-proof cement for bridges, roofs, etc.; asphaltic cement. Artificial asphalt is prepared from coal tar, lime, sand, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asphalt stone,
Asphalt rock, a limestone found impregnated with asphalt. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n. See Asphalt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. asphodelus, Gr. &unr_;. See Daffodil. ] (Bot.) A general name for a plant of the genus Asphodelus. The asphodels are hardy perennial plants, several species of which are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The name is also popularly given to species of other genera. The asphodel of the early English and French poets was the daffodil. The asphodel of the Greek poets is supposed to be the Narcissus poeticus. Dr. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pansies, and violets, and asphodel. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 small genus of tall striking annuals or perennials with grasslike foliage and flowers in dense racemes or panicles; Mediterranean to Himalayas; sometimes placed in family Asphodelaceae.
Syn. -- genus Asphodelus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]