asp

An aspen tree.

Noun archaic

  1. A water snake.
  2. A venomous viper native to southwestern Europe (Vipera aspis).
  3. The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje).
  4. An evil person; a snake.
    • 'Two thousand years ago did thou and I and that Egyptian asp rest therein, but since then have I not set foot here, nor any man, and perchance it has fallen,' and, followed by the rest of us, she passed up a vast flight...
  5. A type of European fish (Aspius aspius).
  6. The caterpillar of various types of flannel moths which induce an intense pain when their hair is touched.

    1. (by extension) Any caterpillar which inflicts a sharp pain when their hair is touched.

Origin

From Middle English aspe, from Old French aspe, from Latin aspis, aspidis (“asp, viper”), from Ancient Greek ἀσπίς (aspís, “shield; Egyptian cobra Naja haje”); compare Middle English aspide.

Forms

asps

Synonyms

asp viper European asp aspis viper

Related

aspis

Derived

aspish asplike sand asp

Noun Entry 2

  1. An aspen tree.

Origin

From Middle English aspe (aspen (in compounds)), from Old English æspe (æspan (in compounds)), from Proto-West Germanic *aspu, from Proto-Germanic *aspō, from Proto-Indo-European *Hosp-. See also Dutch esp, German Espe, Swedish and Norwegian Bokmål asp, Norwegian Nynorsk osp; also Welsh aethnen, Latin abiēs (“fir”), Latvian apse, Polish osa, Old Armenian ոփի (opʻi, “poplar”).

Forms

asps

Derived

quaking asp

Noun law

  1. Initialism of Act of the Scottish Parliament.
    • Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 (2009 asp 9)