Part 413

{ ||As`the*ni"a (&?;), As"the*ny (&?;), } n. [NL. asthenia, Gr. 'asqe`nia; 'a priv. + sqe`nos strength.] (Med.) Want or loss of strength; debility; diminution of the vital forces.

As*then"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. 'asqeniko`s; 'a priv. + sqe`nos strength.] (Med.) Characterized by, or pertaining to, debility; weak; debilitating.

||As`the*no"pi*a (&?;), n. [Gr. 'a priv. + sqe`nos strength + 'w`ps eye.] Weakness of sight. Quain. -- As`the*nop"ic (&?;), a.

Asth"ma (?; 277), n. [Gr. &?; short-drawn breath, fr. &?; to blow, for &?;: cf. Skr. v, Goth. waian, to blow, E. wind.] (Med.) A disease, characterized by difficulty of breathing (due to a spasmodic contraction of the bronchi), recurring at intervals, accompanied with a wheezing sound, a sense of constriction in the chest, a cough, and expectoration.

{ Asth*mat"ic (&?;), Asth*mat"ic*al (&?;), } a. [L. asthmaticus, Gr. &?;.] Of or pertaining to asthma; as, an asthmatic cough; liable to, or suffering from, asthma; as, an asthmatic patient. -- Asth*mat"ic*al*ly, adv.

Asth*mat"ic, n. A person affected with asthma.

As`tig*mat"ic (&?;), a. (Med. & Opt.) Affected with, or pertaining to, astigmatism; as, astigmatic eyes; also, remedying astigmatism; as, astigmatic lenses.

A*stig"ma*tism (&?;), n. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?;, &?;, a prick of a pointed instrument, a spot, fr. &?; to prick: cf. F. astigmatisme.] (Med. & Opt.) A defect of the eye or of a lens, in consequence of which the rays derived from one point are not brought to a single focal point, thus causing imperfect images or indistinctness of vision.

The term is applied especially to the defect causing images of lines having a certain direction to be indistinct, or imperfectly seen, while those of lines transverse to the former are distinct, or clearly seen.

As*tip"u*late (&?;), v. i. [L. astipulari; ad + stipulari to stipulate.] To assent. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

As*tip`u*la"tion (&?;), n. [L. astipulatio.] Stipulation; agreement. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

A*stir" (&?;), adv. & a. [Pref. a- + stir.] Stirring; in a state of activity or motion; out of bed.

{ A*stom"a*tous (&?;), As"to*mous (&?;), } a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?;, &?;, mouth.] Not possessing a mouth.

{ As*ton" (&?;), As*tone" (&?;), } v. t. [imp. & p. p. Astoned, Astond, or Astound.] [See Astonish.] To stun; to astonish; to stupefy. [Obs.] Chaucer.

As*ton"ied (&?;), p. p. Stunned; astonished. See Astony. [Archaic]

And I astonied fell and could not pray. Mrs. Browning.

As*ton"ish (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Astonished (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Astonishing.] [OE. astonien, astunian, astonen, OF. estoner, F. étonner, fr. L. ex out + tonare to thunder, but perhaps influenced by E. stun. See Thunder, Astound, Astony.] 1. To stun; to render senseless, as by a blow. [Obs.]

Enough, captain; you have astonished him. [Fluellen had struck Pistol]. Shak.

The very cramp-fish [i. e., torpedo] . . . being herself not benumbed, is able to astonish others. Holland.

2. To strike with sudden fear, terror, or wonder; to amaze; to surprise greatly, as with something unaccountable; to confound with some sudden emotion or passion.

Musidorus . . . had his wits astonished with sorrow. Sidney.

I, Daniel . . . was astonished at the vision. Dan. viii. 27.

Syn. -- To amaze; astound; overwhelm; surprise. -- Astonished, Surprised. We are surprised at what is unexpected. We are astonished at what is above or beyond our comprehension. We are taken by surprise. We are struck with astonishment. C. J. Smith. See Amaze.

As*ton"ish*ed*ly (&?;), adv. In an astonished manner. [R.] Bp. Hall.

As*ton"ish*ing, a. Very wonderful; of a nature to excite astonishment; as, an astonishing event.

Syn. -- Amazing; surprising; wonderful; marvelous.

As*ton"ish*ing*ly, adv. -- As*ton"ish*ing*ness, n.

As*ton"ish*ment (&?;), n. [Cf. OF. estonnement, F. étonnement.] 1. The condition of one who is stunned. Hence: Numbness; loss of sensation; stupor; loss of sense. [Obs.]