Part 393

As"phalt, v. t. To cover with asphalt; as, to asphalt a roof; asphalted streets.

||As`phalte" (&?;), n. [F. See Asphalt.] Asphaltic mastic or cement. See Asphalt, 2.

As*phal"tic (&?;), a. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing, asphalt; bituminous. "Asphaltic pool." "Asphaltic slime." Milton.

As*phal"tite (&?;), a. Asphaltic.

As*phal"tite (&?;), a. Asphaltic. Bryant.

||As*phal"tus, n. See Asphalt.

As"pho*del (&?;), n. [L. asphodelus, Gr. &?;. See Daffodil.] (Bot.) A general name for a plant of the genus Asphodelus. The asphodels are hardy perennial plants, several species of which are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers.

The name is also popularly given to species of other genera. The asphodel of the early English and French poets was the daffodil. The asphodel of the Greek poets is supposed to be the Narcissus poeticus. Dr. Prior.

Pansies, and violets, and asphodel. Milton.

As*phyc"tic (&?;), a. Pertaining to asphyxia.

{ ||As*phyx"i*a (&?;), As*phyx"y (&?;), } n. [NL. asphyxia, fr. Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; to throb, beat.] (Med.) Apparent death, or suspended animation; the condition which results from interruption of respiration, as in suffocation or drowning, or the inhalation of irrespirable gases.

As*phyx"i*al (&?;), a. Of or relating to asphyxia; as, asphyxial phenomena.

As*phyx"i*ate (&?;), v. t. To bring to a state of asphyxia; to suffocate. [Used commonly in the past pple.]

As*phyx"i*a`ted (&?;), As*phyx"ied (&?;), p. p. In a state of asphyxia; suffocated.

As*phyx`i*a"tion (&?;), n. The act of causing asphyxia; a state of asphyxia.

As"pic (&?;), n. [F. See Asp.] 1. The venomous asp. [Chiefly poetic] Shak. Tennyson.

2. A piece of ordnance carrying a 12 pound shot. [Obs.]

As"pic, n. [F., a corrupt. of spic (OF. espi, F. épi), L. spica (spicum, spicus), ear, spike. See Spike.] A European species of lavender (Lavandula spica), which produces a volatile oil. See Spike.

As"pic, n. [F., prob. fr. aspic an asp.] A savory meat jelly containing portions of fowl, game, fish, hard boiled eggs, etc. Thackeray.

||As`pi*do*bran"chi*a (&?;), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, shield + &?; gills.] (Zoöl.) A group of Gastropoda, with limpetlike shells, including the abalone shells and keyhole limpets.

As*pir"ant (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. aspirant, p. pr. of aspirer. See Aspire.] Aspiring.

As*pir"ant, n. [Cf. F. aspirant.] One who aspires; one who eagerly seeks some high position or object of attainment.

In consequence of the resignations . . . the way to greatness was left clear to a new set of aspirants. Macaulay.

As"pi*rate (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aspirated (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Aspirating (&?;).] [L. aspiratus, p. p. of aspirare to breathe toward or upon, to add the breathing h; ad + spirare to breathe, blow. Cf. Aspire.] To pronounce with a breathing, an aspirate, or an h sound; as, we aspirate the words horse and house; to aspirate a vowel or a liquid consonant.

As"pi*rate (&?;), n. 1. A sound consisting of, or characterized by, a breath like the sound of h; the breathing h or a character representing such a sound; an aspirated sound.

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2. A mark of aspiration () used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing. Bentley.

3. An elementary sound produced by the breath alone; a surd, or nonvocal consonant; as, f, th in thin, etc.