Asperity, as-per′i-ti, n. roughness: harshness: bitter coldness. [L. asperitat-em, asper, rough.]
Aspermous, a-spėr′mus, Aspermatous, a-spėr′ma-tus, adj. without seeds. [Gr. a, neg., sperma, seed.]
Asperse, as-pėrs′, v.t. to slander or calumniate: to bespatter (with).—n. Asper′sion, calumny: slander: (Shak.) a shower or spray.—adjs. Aspers′ive, Aspers′ory, tending to asperse: defamatory.
Aspersorium, as-per-sōr′i-um, n. a vessel used in R.C. churches for holding holy water.
Asphalt, as-falt′, or as′falt, Asphaltum, as-falt′um, n. a black or dark-brown, hard, bituminous substance, anciently used as a cement, and now for paving, cisterns, water-pipes, &c.—v.t. Asphalt′, to lay or cover with asphalt.—adj. Asphalt′ic. [Gr. asphaltos, from an Eastern word.]
Aspheterism, as-fet′er-izm, n. (Southey) denial of the right of private property.—v.i. Asphet′erise. [Gr. a, neg., and spheteros, one's own.]
Asphodel, as′fo-del, n. a kind of lily—in Greek mythology, the peculiar plant of the dead. In Greece they cover the bleakest hillsides with enduring blossom.—adj. Elysian. [Gr. asphodelos, a plant of the lily kind; cf. Homer's asphodelos leimōn, the meadow of the dead. See Daffodil.]
Asphyxia, as-fik′si-a, n. (lit.) suspended animation, suffocation, when the blood is in such a state as to render impossible a sufficiently free exchange of carbonic acid for oxygen—also Asphyx′y.—n. Asphyx′iant, a chemical substance which produces asphyxia.—adj. Asphyx′iāted.—ns. Asphyxiā′tion; Asphyx′iātor. [Gr., a stopping of the pulse—a, neg., sphyxis, the pulse.]
Aspic, Aspick, as′pik, n. (poet.) a venomous serpent. [See Asp.]
Aspic, as′pik, n. a savoury meat-jelly containing fish, game, hard-boiled eggs, &c. [Littré suggests its derivation from aspic, asp, because it is 'cold as an aspic,' a French proverb.]