Asper

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈæspÉ™/
• US IPA: /ˈæspəɹ/

From Old French aspre (modern âpre), from Latin asper ("rough").

Alternative forms

• aspre

Full definition of asper

Adjective

1. Rough or harsh; severe, stern, serious.
• Francis BaconAn asper sound.

Noun

1. (phonetics) Rough breathing; a mark (#) indicating that part of a word is aspirated, or pronounced with h before it.

Middle English, from Middle French aspre or Italian aspro, both from Ancient Greek ἄσπρον, from neuter of ἄσπρος (aspros, "white"), from Latin asper ("rough, newly minted")

Alternative forms

• aspron

Noun

1. (historical) Any one of several small coins, circulated around the eastern Mediterranean area from the 12th to 17th centuries.
• 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, I.40:And for ten Aspers you shall daily finde some amongst them, that will give themselves a deepe gash with a Scimitarie, either in their armes or thighes.

Anagrams

• apers, apres, après, aprés, pares, parse, pears, præs., rapes, reaps, RESPA, sarpe, spare, spear