n. 1. the atmosphere and outer space considered together or as a whole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. the sector of industry that designs and builds aircraft, rockets, missiles, and devices or vehicles intended to operate in outer space. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. of or pertaining to aerospace in either sense. [ PJC ]

n. 1. the atmosphere above a nation and deemed to be under its jurisdiction. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Billiards) In the balk-line game, any of eight spaces, 7 inches by 31/2, lying along a cushion and bisected transversely by a balk line. Object balls in an anchor space are treated as in balk. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. (Med.) Good against spasms. -- n. A medicine which prevents or allays spasms or convulsions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. antispastus, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to draw the contrary way; 'anti` against + &unr_; to draw. ] (Pros.) A foot of four syllables, the first and fourth short, and the second and third long (#). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;. See Antispast. ] (Med.) (a) Believed to cause a revulsion of fluids or of humors from one part to another. [ Obs. ] (b) Counteracting spasms; antispasmodic. -- n. An antispastic agent. [ 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 ]

v. i. In typing text, to press the backspace key so as to reposition the carriage or cursor on the previous space. [ PJC ]

n. 1. The key on a typewriter or other keyboard used for back spacing.
Syn. -- backspace key. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bespangled p. pr. & vb. n. Bespangling ] To adorn with spangles; to dot or sprinkle with something brilliant or glittering. [ 1913 Webster ]

The grass . . . is all bespangled with dewdrops. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. covered with beads or jewels or sequins.
Syn. -- beaded, beady, bejeweled, bejewelled, gemmed, jeweled, jewelled, sequined, spangled, spangly. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bespattered p. pr. & vb. n. Bespattering. ] 1. To soil by spattering; to sprinkle, esp. with dirty water, mud, or anything which will leave foul spots or stains. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To asperse with calumny or reproach. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whom never faction could bespatter. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To daub, soil, or make foul with spawl or spittle. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

A common name of dolomite; -- so called because it contains magnesia, the soluble salts of which are bitter. See Dolomite. [ 1913 Webster ]

. One of an old and well-known Mediterranean breed of domestic fowls with glossy black plumage, blue legs and feet, bright red comb and wattles, and white face. They are remarkable as egg layers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

[ So called from Blenheim House, the seat of the duke of Marlborough, in England. ] A small variety of spaniel, kept as a pet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ G. kalk (L. calx) lime E. spar. ] Same as Calcite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus containing two species of small New Zealand trees: weeping tree broom; endangered.
Syn. -- genus Chordospartium. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Pref. cis- + L. Padanus, pert. to the Padus or Po. ] On the hither side of the river Po with reference to Rome; that is, on the south side. [ 1913 Webster ]

. One of a breed of small or medium-sized spaniels kept for hunting or retrieving game or for household pets. They usually weigh from eighteen to twenty-eight pounds. They have the head of fair length, with square muzzle, the ears long and set low, the legs short or of medium length, and the coat fine and silky, wavy but not curly. Various colors are bred, as black, liver, red, black and white, black and tan, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ } a. [ L. crispatus, p. p. of crispare. ] Having a crisped appearance; irregularly curled or twisted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ CF. F. crispation. ] 1. The act or process of curling, or the state of being curled. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A very slight convulsive or spasmodic contraction of certain muscles, external or internal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Few men can look down from a great height without creepings and crispations. O. W. Holmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being crispate. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ After Sir William Crookes, English chemist, who first described it. ] (Physics) The dark space within the negative-pole glow at the cathode of a vacuum tube, observed only when the pressure is low enough to give a striated discharge; -- called also Crookes layer. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. An ill-natured person. [ Colloq. ] “Crosspatch, draw the latch.” Mother Goose. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Spale & Spall. ] (Shipbuilding) One of the temporary wooden braces, placed horizontally across a frame to hold it in position until the deck beams are in; a cross-pawl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Ending in a point. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having cusps or points.
Syn. -- cuspated, cuspidal, cuspidate, cuspidated. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Min.) A massive variety of fluor spar, found in Derbyshire, England, and wrought into vases and other ornamental work. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Despaired p. pr. & vb. n. Despairing. ] [ OE. despeiren, dispeiren, OF. desperer, fr. L. desperare; de- + sperare to hope; akin to spes hope, and perh. to spatium space, E. space, speed; cf. OF. espeir hope, F. espoir. Cf. Prosper, Desperate. ] To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; -- often with of. [ 1913 Webster ]

We despaired even of life. 2 Cor. i. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

Never despair of God's blessings here. Wake.

Syn. -- See Despond. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause to despair. [ Obs. ] Sir W. Williams. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. despoir, fr. desperer. ] 1. Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency. [ 1913 Webster ]

We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro,
Pine with regret, or sicken with despair. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before he [ Bunyan ] was ten, his sports were interrupted by fits of remorse and despair. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is despaired of. “The mere despair of surgery he cures.” Shak.

Syn. -- Desperation; despondency; hopelessness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who despairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Hopeless. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Feeling or expressing despair; hopeless. -- De*spair"ing*ly, adv. -- De*spair"ing*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ OF. desparpeillier. ] To scatter; to disparkle. [ Obs. ] Mandeville. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. & v. Same as Dispatch. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Pref. dis- asunder, different ways, to and fro + pace. ] To roam. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In this fair plot dispacing to and fro. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To separate (a pair). [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I have . . . dispaired two doves. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. dispandere to spread out; pref. dis- + pandere, pansum, to spread out. ] To spread out; to expand. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Dispand. ] Act of dispanding, or state of being dispanded. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Removed from paradise. [ R. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Inequality in marriage; marriage with an inferior. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dissuaded her from such a disparage. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]