ass

¹ American  

[as] / æs /

noun

1. a long-eared, slow, patient, sure-footed domesticated mammal, Equus asinus, related to the horse, used chiefly as a beast of burden.

2. Also called wild ass.  an African wild ass, kiang, onager, or any of their subspecies.

3. a stupid, foolish, or stubborn person.

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ass ² American  

[as] / æs /

noun

Slang: Vulgar.

1. the buttocks.

2. the rectum.

3. sexual intercourse.

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idioms

1. kick ass,  kick.

-ass ³ American  

Or -assed

1. a combining form of ass in the sense of “stupid person“ or “the buttocks,“ used in vulgar slang words as an intensifier or with disparaging intent.

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ass. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. assistant.

2. association.

3. assorted.

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ass ¹ British  

/ æs /

noun

1. either of two perissodactyl mammals of the horse family ( Equidae ), Equus asinus ( African wild ass ) or E. hemionus ( Asiatic wild ass ). They are hardy and sure-footed, having longer ears than the horse

2. (not in technical use) the domesticated variety of the African wild ass; donkey

3. a foolish or ridiculously pompous person

4. informal  not close to obtaining, winning, etc

   she wasn't within an ass's roar of it

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ass ² British  

/ æs /

noun

1. slang  the buttocks

2. slang  the anus

3. offensive  sexual intercourse or a woman considered sexually (esp in the phrase piece of ass )

4. slang  to take such action as one considers necessary to avoid censure, ridicule, etc at a later time

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ass More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ass

• break one's ass
• chew out (one's ass off)
• cover one's ass
• drag one's ass
• kick ass
• kick in the pants (ass)
• kiss ass
• make a fool (an ass) of
• pain in the ass
• stick it (up one's ass)
• you bet your ass

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Sensitive Note

See arse.

Usage

What does -ass mean? The combining form -ass is used like a suffix meaning “ass,” in the sense of "buttocks." While occasionally -ass is meant literally or to mean "(stupid) person," more often it is used as an intensifier. Intensifiers are words or word elements that essentially mean "very" or "somewhat." The form -ass is often used in slang terms, especially vulgar or insulting ones.The form -ass comes from Old English assa, meaning “ass,” in the sense of "donkey."Unlike some other combining forms, -ass is often separated with a hyphen, as in big-ass.

Other Word Forms

• asslike adjective

Etymology

Origin of ass¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English asse, Old English assa, probably a pet name or diminutive form based on a Celtic form, e.g., Old Irish asan, Old Welsh asen, from Latin asinus; akin to Greek ónos “ass,” from a non-Indo-European language of Asia Minor, e.g., Sumerian anše “ass”

Origin of ass²

First recorded in 1860–65; variant of arse, with loss of r before s, as in passel, cuss, etc.; arse

Related Words

• idiot