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. [ 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 ]

‖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 ]

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 ]