Asper
(||As"per) n. [L. spiritus asper rough breathing.] (Greek Gram.) The rough breathing; a mark (&asper) placed over an initial vowel sound or over &rho to show that it is aspirated, that is, pronounced with h before it; thus "ws, pronounced hos, "rh`twr, pronounced hra"tor.

Asper
(||As"per), n. [F. aspre or It. aspro, fr. MGr. 'a`spron, 'a`spros, white ] A Turkish money of account of little value; the 120th part of a piaster.

Asperate
(As"per*ate) 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.

The asperated part of its surface.
Boyle.

Asperation
(As`per*a"tion) n. The act of asperating; a making or becoming rough. Bailey.

Asperges
(||As*per"ges) 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.

Aspergill
(As"per*gill ||As`per*gil"lum) 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.]

2. (Zoöl.) See Wateringpot shell.

Aspergilliform
(As`per*gil"li*form) a. [Aspergillum + -form.] (Bot.) Resembling the aspergillum in form; as, an aspergilliform stigma. Gray.

Asperifoliate
(As`per*i*fo"li*ate As`per*i*fo"li*ous) a. [L. asper rough + folium leaf.] (Bot.) Having rough leaves.

By some applied to the natural order now called Boraginaceæ or borageworts.

Asperity
(As*per"i*ty) 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.

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

3. Roughness to the taste; sourness; tartness.

4. Moral roughness; roughness of manner; severity; crabbedness; harshness; — opposed to mildness. "Asperity of character." Landor.

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

5. Sharpness; disagreeableness; difficulty.

The acclivities and asperities of duty.
Barrow.

Syn. — Acrimony; moroseness; crabbedness; harshness; sourness; tartness. See Acrimony.

Aspermatous
(A*sper"ma*tous) a. [Gr. 'a priv. + seed.] (Bot.) Aspermous.

Aspermous
(A*sper"mous), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + seed.] (Bot.) Destitute of seeds; aspermatous.

Asperne
(A*sperne") v. t. [L. aspernari; a (ab) + spernari.] To spurn; to despise. [Obs.] Sir T. More.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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