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Asparagus. [Colloq.] See the Note under Asparagus.

Fig.: To injure by aspersion; to defame; to soil; also, to throw out in a defamatory manner.

s not exhibited; a sample; as, a specimen of a man's handwriting; a specimen of painting; aspecimen of one's art.

Regard; aspect; appearance. Harvey.

To consider by turning a subject in the mind, and viewing it in its different aspects and relations; to meditate; to contemplate; to theorize; as, to speculate on questions in religion; to speculate on political events. It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most pefect quiet…

Mental view of anything in its various aspects and relations; contemplation; intellectual examination. Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turned my thoughts. Milton.

Asperagus. [Obs.] Sylvester.

One of the nonsexual spores found in red algæ; a tetraspore.

Any one of numerous species of sand wasps of the genus Sphex and allied genera. These wasps have the abdomen attached to the thorax by a slender pedicel. See Illust. of Sand wasp, under Sand. Sphex fly (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of small dipterous flies of the genus Conops and allied genera. The form of the b…

of a hawk, upon the wingless body of a lion. The awful ruins of the days of old . . . Or jasper tomb, or mutilated sphinx. Shelley.

colorless or yellowish aromatic oil extracted from the European broad-leaved lavender, or aspic (Lavendula Spica), used in artist's varnish and in veterinary medicine. It is often adulterated with oil of turpentine, which it much resembles.

ower when of a pyramidal form and high in proportion to its width; also, the pyramidal or aspiring termination of a tower which can not be said to have a roof, such as that of Strasburg cathedral; the tapering part of a steeple, or the steeple itself. "With glistering spires and pinnacles adorned." Milton. A spire of l…

A rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing. [Obs.] Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use for it. B. Jonson.

Any fern of the genus Asplenium, some species of which were anciently used as remedies for disorders of the spleen.

The quantity which a spoon contains, or is able to contain; as, a teaspoonful; a tablespoonful.

To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation; to asperse. My virgin life no spotted thoughts shall stain. Sir P. Sidney. If ever I shall close these eyes but once, May I live spotted for my perjury. Beau. & Fl. To spot timber, to cut or chip it, in preparation for hewing.

ustion is produced by a stream of mercury running down a narrow tube, in the manner of an aspirator; -- named from the inventor.

ness; squalidity. The heterogenous indigent multitude, everywhere wearing nearly the same aspect of squalor. Taylor. To bring this sort of squalor among the upper classes. Dickens.

A European perennial herb (Asperula cynanchica) with narrowly linear whorled leaves; -- formerly thought to cure the quinsy. Also called quincewort. Squinancy berries, black currants; -- so called because used to cure the quinsy. Dr. Prior.

(Zoöl.), the larva of a noctuid moth (Gortyna nitela), which bores in the stalks of the raspberry, strawberry, tomato, asters, and many other garden plants, often doing much injury.