aspergillum

[as-per-jil-uh m]

noun, plural as·per·gil·la

[as-per-jil-uh] /ˌæs pərˈdʒɪl ə/, as·per·gil·lums. Roman Catholic Church.

a brush or instrument for sprinkling holy water; aspersorium.

Origin of aspergillum

1640–50; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin asperg(ere) to besprinkle (see a-⁵, sparge) + -illum diminutive suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for aspergillum

Historical Examples of aspergillum

He is attended by a minister with a vase of holy water, an aspergillum and a copy of the Rituale or missal.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 5
Various
We have already mentioned an ancient Christian fresco in which an aspergillum is represented.
The Ceremonies of the Holy-Week at Rome
Charles Michael Baggs
On this table were a silver crucifix, a vase filled with holy water, and an aspergillum.
The Memoirs of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
A portion of the cylindrical stem of a flabellum or aspergillum, probably French of the twelfth century, is in the British Museum.
History of the Fan
George Woolliscroft Rhead
The brush used for sprinkling is an aspergill (aspergillum), or aspersoir, and the vessel for this water an aspersorium.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7
Various

British Dictionary definitions for aspergillum

aspergillum

aspergill (ˈæspədʒɪl)

noun plural -gilla (-ˈdʒɪlə), -gillums or -gills

another term for aspersorium (def. 2)

Word Origin for aspergillum

C17: from New Latin aspergillum, from Latin aspergere, from spargere to sprinkle

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