asperity
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Asperity — As*per i*ty, n.; pl. {Asperities}. [L. asperitas, fr. asper rough: cf. F. asp[ e]rit[ e].] 1. Roughness of surface; unevenness; opposed to {smoothness}. The asperities of dry bodies. Boyle. [1913 Webster] 2. Roughness or harshness of sound; that… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Asperity — is defined as unevenness of surface, roughness, ruggedness (OED). Flat surfaces, even those polished to a mirror finish, are not truly flat on an atomic scale. They are rough, with sharp, rough or rugged outgrowth, termed asperities.When two… … Wikipedia
asperity — index rigor, severity Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
asperity — c.1200, asprete hardship, harshness of feelings, a figurative use, from O.Fr. asperité difficulty, painful situation, harsh treatment (12c., Mod.Fr. ápreté), from L. asperitatem (nom. asperitas) roughness, from asper rough, harsh, of unknown… … Etymology dictionary
asperity — *acrimony, acerbity Analogous words: sharpness, keenness (see corresponding adjectives at SHARP): causticity, mordancy (see corresponding adjectives at CAUSTIC): snappishness, waspishness, irritability (see corresponding adjectives at IRRITABLE)… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
asperity — [n] harshness; bad temper acerbity, acrimony, bitterness, churlishness, crabbiness, crossness, difficulty, disagreeableness, irascibility, irritability, meanness, moroseness, peevishness, roughness, sharpness, sourness, sullenness, tartness;… … New thesaurus
asperity — ► NOUN (pl. asperities) 1) harshness of tone or manner. 2) a rough edge on a surface. ORIGIN Latin asperitas, from asper rough … English terms dictionary
asperity — [ə sper′ə tē] n. pl. asperities [ME & OFr asprete < L asperitas, roughness < asper, rough < IE * apo spero , repellent < base * apo , away + * sper , to flick away, push] 1. roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, weather, etc.… … English World dictionary
asperity — [[t]æspe̱rɪti[/t]] N UNCOUNT: oft with N If you say something with asperity, you say it impatiently and severely. [FORMAL] I told you Preskel had no idea, remarked Kemp with some asperity. Syn: sharpness … English dictionary
asperity — noun (plural ties) Etymology: Middle English asprete, from Anglo French aspreté, from aspre rough, from Latin asper, from Old Latin *absperos, from ab ab + speros; akin to Sanskrit apasphura repelling, Latin spernere to spurn more at spurn Date:… … New Collegiate Dictionary
