Asperges

[ uh-spur-jeez ]

nounRoman Catholic Church.

the rite of sprinkling the altar, clergy, and people with holy water before High Mass.

Origin of Asperges

<Latin: thou shalt sprinkle (2nd person singular future of aspergere). See a-⁵, sparge

Words Nearby Asperges

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Asperges in a sentence

Asperges me hyssopo et mundabor, lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Olive in Italy | Moray Dalton
Much hyssop grows here, Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor.
Letters from the Holy Land | Elizabeth Butler
Elle me donne un brevet de trois ans de vie, car il faut trois ans pour faire venir ces belles Asperges dont vous me gratifiez.
The Life of Albert Gallatin | Henry Adams
With a slow movement, he raised three times the Asperges brush, and he purified him with a gentle rain.
The Dream | Emile Zola
I do not think that you expect to convince me that a ceremony like the—er—Asperges is a fundamental of Christianity.
The Altar Steps | Compton MacKenzie

British Dictionary definitions for Asperges

Asperges

/ (æˈspɜːdʒiːz) /

nounRC Church

a short rite preceding Mass, in which the celebrant sprinkles those present with holy water to the accompaniment of the chant Asperges me, Domine
the chant opening with these words

Origin of Asperges

C16: from Latin Asperges (me hyssopo) Thou shalt purge (me with hyssop)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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