Part 733

<blockquote>So sacred was the church to some, that it had the right of an <b>asylum</b> or sanctuary. <i>Ayliffe.</i></blockquote>

<note>&hand; The name was anciently given to temples, altars, statues of the gods, and the like. In later times Christian churches were regarded as asylums in the same sense.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Any place of retreat and security.</def>

<blockquote>Earth has no other <b>asylum</b> for them than its own cold bosom. <i>Southey.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>An institution for the protection or relief of some class of destitute, unfortunate, or afflicted persons; <as>as, an <ex>asylum</ex> for the aged, for the blind, or for the insane; a lunatic <ex>asylum</ex>; an orphan <ex>asylum</ex>.</as></def>

<h1>Asymmetral</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>A*sym"me*tral</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Incommensurable; also, unsymmetrical.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>D. H. More.</i>

<h1>Asymmetric, Asymmetrical</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw><hw>As`ym*met"ric</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <hw>As`ym*met"ri*cal</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>,<hw> <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Asymmetrous</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Incommensurable.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Not symmetrical; wanting proportion; esp., not bilaterally symmetrical.</def>

<i>Huxley.</i>

<h1>Asymmetrous</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>A*sym"me*trous</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/.]</ety> <def>Asymmetrical.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Barrow.</i>

<h1>Asymmetry</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>A*sym"me*try</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/; <?/ priv. + <?/ symmetry.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Want of symmetry, or proportion between the parts of a thing, esp. want of bilateral symmetry.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Math.)</fld> <def>Incommensurability.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Barrow.</i>

<h1>Asymptote</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>As"ymp*tote</hw> <tt>(?; 215)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ not falling together; <?/ priv. + <?/ to fall together; <?/ with + <?/ to fall. Cf. <er>Symptom</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Math.)</fld> <def>A line which approaches nearer to some curve than assignable distance, but, though infinitely extended, would never meet it. Asymptotes may be straight lines or curves. A rectilinear asymptote may be conceived as a tangent to the curve at an infinite distance.</def>

<h1>Asynartete</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>A*syn"ar*tete`</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ not united, disconnected; <?/ priv. + <?/ with + <?/ to fasten to.]</ety> <def>Disconnected; not fitted or adjusted.</def> -- <wordforms><wf>A*syn"ar*tet"ic</wf> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt></wordforms>

<cs><col>Asynartete verse</col> <fld>(Pros.)</fld>, <cd>a verse of two members, having different rhythms; as when the first consists of iambuses and the second of trochees.</cd></cs>

<h1>Asyndetic</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>As`yn*det"ic</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Asyndeton</er>.]</ety> <def>Characterized by the use of asyndeton; not connected by conjunctions.</def> -- <wordforms><wf>As`yn*det"ic*al*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt></wordforms>

<h1>Asyndeton</h1> <Xpage=95>

<hw>A*syn"de*ton</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L., fr. Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ unconnected; <?/ priv. + <?/ bound together, fr. <?/; <?/ with + <?/ to bind.]</ety> <fld>(Rhet.)</fld> <def>A figure which omits the connective; <as>as, <ex>I came, I saw, I conquered</ex></as>. It stands opposed to <i>polysyndeton</i>.</def>