ASP 



104 



ASS 



introduced into astronomy by the old 

 astrologers, and were distinguished by 

 them into benign, malignant, and indif- 

 ferent. 2. In architecture, the direction 



towards the point of the compass in which 



a building is placed. 3. In horticulture, 



used in reference to the inclination of the 

 ground with respect to the sun. 



AS'PEN, aspen-tree, called also the 

 trembling poplar, from the trembling of 

 its leaves when moved by the slightest 

 Impulse of air, is the popiUns tremula of 

 the botanist. The name is Sax. sefpe, 

 restless. The aspen grows in all soils? but 

 especially moist. 



AsrERGEi/n-M, a genus of testaceous 

 acephala: animal lives in the sand, and 

 inhabits a calcareous tube seven or eight 

 inches in length ; hence the name asper- 

 giiluin, " a holy water-stick" (to sprinkle 

 holy water), and aspergilliform, applied to 

 any shaped like that instrument. 



As'rERiFo'njE, a natural family of 

 plants characterised as asperifolious. 



As'pEHiro'Lious.Lat. asperifolius, rough- 

 leaved, agptr and/o/ts, a leaf. 



ASVE'RMOVS. a, without, and rviefACt, 

 eed. Destitute of seed. 



ASPHALT,-OS,-CM, native bitumen, so 

 called because anciently procured only 

 from the Lake Asphaltites (Dead Sea) in 

 Judea. Hence called also Jew's Pitch 

 (bitumen Judaicum). See BITUMEN. 



Instead, however, of the lake giving 

 name to the bitumen, it is probable 

 that the bitumen gave name to the lake, 

 and that oto-QctXTt;, the general Greek 

 word for bitumen, is derived from 

 oLf$afau, to make secure, the sub- 

 stance being used as pitch is with us 

 for ships. 



ASPHODE'LEJE, a natural order of plants 

 of which the genus asphodelus is the type. 

 ASPHODK'I,US, the asphodel, a genus of 

 hardy exotic perennials, the best known 

 of which is the branched asphodel or 

 king's spear (A. ramosus), used medi- 

 cinally. HexandriaMonogynia. Name, 

 ae-Qod&es , of uncertain origin. 



ASPHY'XT, Lat. asphyxia, of a, without, 

 and tr$v%i;, pulse. Literally, absence of 

 pulse, but applied usually to that state in 

 which the vital phenomena are sus- 

 pended, from some cause interrupting 

 respiration, but in which life is not ac- 

 tually extinct. 



ASPIC. 1. The asp (q.v.) 2. A gun 



which carries 121b. shot. 



ASPID'IUM, the shield-fern, an exten- 

 sive genus of ferns of which there are up- 

 wards of 15 British species. Name 

 i<rr;3;? , a shield, which the involucres 

 resemble. 



As'i'iBiTB. spiritus asper. In grammar, 

 an accent peculiar to the Greek lan- 



guage, marked ' and denoting that the 

 letter over which it is placed should be 

 strongly aspirated, i. e. pronounced as if h 

 were prefixed. 



ASPLE'NIUM, the spleenwort. an exten- 

 sive genus of perennials of which there 

 are 10 British species. Cryptogamia 

 Filices. Name of , not, and a-tr^t, the 

 spleen, some of the plants being supposed 

 useful in removing disorders of the spleen . 

 Leek-fern or black maiden hair, milt- 

 waste, mule's-fern, wall-rue or tent-fern, 

 &c., are species. 



A^'RAEL, an angel in the Mohammedan 

 mythology, who watches the souls of the 

 dying. 



Ass, this well-known animal is a na- 

 tive of the deserts of central Asia. It be- 

 longs to the equine genus of the solipede 

 family of pachydermata : Cuvier. Latin 

 name asinus, native name onager. 



AS'SAI, an Italian term used in music, 

 which, when annexed to a word mean- 

 ing slow, signifies a little more lively, and 

 when annexed to a word meaning quick, 

 it indicates a little slower. 



AS'SART, in the old laws. 1. A tree 



plucked up by the roots. 2. The offence 



of grubbing up trees. 3. A piece of 

 forest land cleared. Assart rents were 

 paid to the crown for lands assarted. 

 Assart is from the old Fr. word assartir t 

 which was latinised assartum. 



ASSAS'SINS, a tribe or clan of Ismael 

 ites which took possession of the moun- 

 tains of Lebanon about 1090, and be 

 came famous for their assassinations. 



ASSAC'LT, assulttts. 1. In laic, an at 

 tempt or offer to do corporeal hurt to 

 another, as by striking at him with or 

 without a weapon, without touching his 

 person. If the person be actually struck 



it is battery. 2. In war, an effort made 



to carry a fortified post, camp, or for- 

 tress, wherein the assailants do not 



screen themselves by any works. 3. 



In fencing, a mock engagement with single 

 foils. 



ASSA'T, ASSA'TING. The process by 

 which the quantity of gold or silver in 

 any mineral or metallic compound is de- 

 termined. It differs from analysis in 

 this: the analysis is instituted for the 

 purpose of ascertaining the exact pro- 

 portions of all the ingredients in the com- 

 pound, whereas the whole object of the 

 assay is to determine the precise amount 

 of the particular metal in question, con- 

 tained in the specimen under examina- 

 tion. The purposes of assaying were, till 

 lately, confined to the valuation of the 

 alloys of gold and silver, but are now ex- 

 tended to determine the quantity of pal- 

 ladium and platinum in certain bullion 

 and gold dust brought from Brazil. The 

 term u from Fr. aiiayer, to try. 



