asp
1 Americannoun
-
any of several venomous snakes, especially the Egyptian cobra or the horned viper.
-
Archaeology. uraeus.
noun
abbreviation
abbreviation
-
American selling price.
-
Computers. application service provider: a company that gives individuals or businesses access through the internet to specialized software applications and other computer-related services.
noun
-
the venomous snake, probably Naja haje (Egyptian cobra), that caused the death of Cleopatra and was formerly used by the Pharaohs as a symbol of their power over life and death See also uraeus
-
Also called: asp viper. a viper, Vipera aspis, that occurs in S Europe and is very similar to but smaller than the adder
-
another name for horned viper
noun
Other Word Forms
- aspish adjective
Etymology
Origin of asp1
1300–50; back formation from Middle English aspis (taken as plural) < Latin < Greek aspís originally, shield
Origin of asp2
before 900; Middle English aspe, apse, Old English æsp ( e ), æps ( e ); cognate with Middle Low German aspe, Old High German aspa ( German Espe, with altered vowel < Old High German adj. espîn ), Old Norse ǫsp; akin to Latvian apse, Russian osína, Czech osika < North European Indo-European *aps-. See aspen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The asps — not snakes, she quickly corrects — are allegedly defanged and thus safe for her latest showcase.
From Salon
Did she die by clasping an asp to her cleavage?
From Salon
Sourdi’s family shield carried the sign of the asp, a venomous snake, which in Latin is “anguis.”
From Washington Post
It wasn’t within easy reach, but maybe...A third idea slithered into her mind like a poisonous asp.
From Literature
Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, poisoned herself with an asp, according to popular belief.
From The Guardian
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
