asp

¹ American  

[asp] / æsp /

noun

1. any of several venomous snakes, especially the Egyptian cobra or the horned viper.

2. Archaeology. uraeus.

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asp ² American  

[asp] / æsp /

noun

1. aspen.

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Asp ³ American  

abbreviation

Biochemistry.

1. aspartic acid.

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ASP ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. American selling price.

2. Computers. application service provider: a company that gives individuals or businesses access through the internet to specialized software applications and other computer-related services.

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asp ¹ British  

/ æsp /

noun

1. 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

2. Also called: asp viper.  a viper, Vipera aspis, that occurs in S Europe and is very similar to but smaller than the adder

3. another name for horned viper

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asp ² British  

/ æsp /

noun

1. an archaic name for the aspen

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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

I found an opportunity to exchange some words with him, the others rushing out into the yard, waxen clogs a-thumping, to place bets upon a battle royal between a mongoose and an asp.

From Literature

And knowing she didn’t want me anymore, well, the hurt coiled up inside me like an asp.

From Literature

Poisonous venom from the bite of an asp was already coursing through the queen’s veins when Octavian received the letter.

From Literature

According to Cicero, he was executed some years later when an asp was slipped into his hammock—his end providing a fitting case history for another book on statecraft.

From Literature

It wasn’t within easy reach, but maybe...A third idea slithered into her mind like a poisonous asp.

From Literature

Related Words

• cobra