asper

See also: aspër, Asper, and as per

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæspə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæspɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle English aspre, from Old French aspre (modern French âpre), from Latin asper (“rough”).

Alternative forms

• aspre

Adjective

asper (comparative more asper, superlative most asper)

1. (obsolete) Rough or harsh; severe, stern, serious.
   • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

     An asper sound.

Noun

asper (uncountable)

1. (phonetics, obsolete) Rough breathing; a mark (#) indicating that part of a word is aspirated, or pronounced with h before it.

Derived terms

• spiritus asper

Etymology 2

From Middle English asper, from Middle French aspre or Italian aspro, both from Ancient Greek ἄσπρον (áspron), from neuter of ἄσπρος (áspros, “white”), from Latin asper (“rough, newly minted”).

Alternative forms

• aspron

Noun

asper (plural aspers)

1. (historical) Any one of several small coins, circulated around the eastern Mediterranean area from the 12th to 17th centuries.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     And for ten Aspers you shall daily finde some amongst them, that will give themselves a deepe gash with a Scimitarie, either in their armes or thighes.

Anagrams

• rapes, après, Pears, prase, Spera, presa, apers, spaer, RESPA, pears, Spare, après-, reaps, præs., apres, parse, Rapes, Earps, Presa, aprés, spear, Spear, Peras, spare, pares, sarpe