Asceticism As·cet"i·cism noun The condition, practice, or mode of life, of ascetics.

Ascham As"cham noun [ From Roger Ascham , who was a great lover of archery.] A sort of cupboard, or case, to contain bows and other implements of archery.

Asci As"ci noun plural See Ascus .

Ascian As"cian noun One of the Ascii .

Ascidian As·cid"i·an noun [ Greek ... bladder, pouch.] (Zoology) One of the Ascidioidea, or in a more general sense, one of the Tunicata. Also as an adj.

Ascidiarium As·cid`i·a"ri·um noun [ New Latin See Ascidium .] (Zoology) The structure which unites together the ascidiozooids in a compound ascidian.

Ascidiform As·cid"i·form adjective [ Greek ... a pouch + - form .] (Zoology) Shaped like an ascidian.

Ascidioidea As·cid`i·oid"e·a noun plural [ New Latin , from ascidium + -oid . See Ascidium .] (Zoology) A group of Tunicata, often shaped like a two-necked bottle. The group includes, social, and compound species. The gill is a netlike structure within the oral aperture. The integument is usually leathery in texture. See Illustration in Appendix.

Ascidiozooid As·cid`i·o·zo"oid (ăs*sĭd`ĭ*o*zō"oid) noun [ Ascidium + zooid .] (Zoology) One of the individual members of a compound ascidian. See Ascidioidea .

Ascidium As·cid"i·um (ăs*sĭd"ĭ*ŭm) noun ; plural Ascidia (-ȧ). [ New Latin , from ascus . See Ascus .] 1. (Botany) A pitcher-shaped, or flask-shaped, organ or appendage of a plant, as the leaves of the pitcher plant, or the little bladderlike traps of the bladderwort (Utricularia).

2. plural (Zoology) A genus of simple ascidians, which formerly included most of the known species. It is sometimes used as a name for the Ascidioidea, or for all the Tunicata.

Ascigerous As·cig"er·ous adjective [ Ascus + - gerous .] (Botany) Having asci. Loudon.

Ascii, Ascians As"ci·i, As"cians noun plural [ Latin ascii , plural of ascius , Greek ... without shadow; 'a priv. + ... shadow.] Persons who, at certain times of the year, have no shadow at noon; -- applied to the inhabitants of the torrid zone, who have, twice a year, a vertical sun.

Ascites As·ci"tes noun [ Latin , from Greek ... (sc. ... disease), from ... bladder, belly.] (Medicine) A collection of serous fluid in the cavity of the abdomen; dropsy of the peritoneum. Dunglison.

Ascitic, Ascitical As·cit"ic, As·cit"ic·al adjective Of, pertaining to, or affected by, ascites; dropsical.

Ascititious As`ci·ti"tious adjective [ See Adscititious .] Supplemental; not inherent or original; adscititious; additional; assumed.

Homer has been reckoned an ascititious name.
Pope.

Asclepiad As·cle"pi·ad noun (Gr. & Latin Pros.) A choriambic verse, first used by the Greek poet Asclepias, consisting of four feet, viz., a spondee, two choriambi, and an iambus.

Asclepiadaceous As·cle`pi·a·da"ceous adjective [ See Asclepias .] (Botany) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, plants of the Milkweed family.

Asclepias As·cle"pi·as noun [ Latin , from Greek ..., named from Asclepios or Aesculapius .] (Botany) A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and some other species having medicinal properties.

Asclepias butterfly (Zoology) , a large, handsome, red and black butterfly ( Danais Archippus ), found in both hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias.

Ascocarp As"co·carp noun [ Greek 'asko`s a bladder + karpo`s fruit.] (Botany) In ascomycetous fungi, the spherical, discoid, or cup-shaped body within which the asci are collected, and which constitutes the mature fructification. The different forms are known in mycology under distinct names. Called also spore fruit .

Ascococcus As`co·coc"cus noun ; plural Ascococci [ New Latin , from Greek 'asko`s bladder, bag + ... kernel.] (Biol.) A form of micrococcus, found in putrid meat infusions, occurring in peculiar masses, each of which is inclosed in a hyaline capsule and contains a large number of spherical micrococci.

Ascomycetes As`co·my·ce"tes noun plural [ New Latin ; ascus + Greek ..., ..., fungus.] (Botany) A large class of higher fungi distinguished by septate hyphæ, and by having their spores formed in asci, or spore sacs. It comprises many orders, among which are the yeasts, molds, mildews, truffles, morels, etc. -- As`co*my*ce"tous adjective

Ascospore As"co·spore noun [ Ascus + spore .] (Botany) One of the spores contained in the asci of lichens and fungi. [ See Illust. of Ascus .]

Ascribable As·crib"a·ble adjective Capable of being ascribed; attributable.

Ascribe As·cribe" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ascribed ; present participle & verbal noun Ascribing .] [ Latin ascribere , adscribere , to ascribe; ad + scribere to write: confer Old French ascrire . See Scribe .] 1. To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause; as, his death was ascribed to a poison; to ascribe an effect to the right cause; to ascribe such a book to such an author.

The finest [ speech] that is ascribed to Satan in the whole poem.
Addison.

2. To attribute, as a quality, or an appurtenance; to consider or allege to belong.

Syn. -- To Ascribe , Attribute , Impute . Attribute denotes, 1. To refer some quality or attribute to a being; as, to attribute power to God. 2. To refer something to its cause or source; as, to attribute a backward spring to icebergs off the coast. Ascribe is used equally in both these senses, but involves a different image. To impute usually denotes to ascribe something doubtful or wrong, and hence, in general literature, has commonly a bad sense; as, to impute unworthy motives. The theological sense of impute is not here taken into view.

More than good-will to me attribute naught.
Spenser.

Ascribes his gettings to his parts and merit.
Pope.

And fairly quit him of the imputed blame.
Spenser.

Ascript As"cript adjective See Adscript . [ Obsolete]

Ascription As·crip"tion noun [ Latin ascriptio , from ascribere . See Ascribe .] The act of ascribing, imputing, or affirming to belong; also, that which is ascribed.

Ascriptitious As`crip·ti"tious adjective [ Latin ascriptitius , from ascribere .] 1. Ascribed.

2. Added; additional. [ Obsolete]

An ascriptitious and supernumerary God.
Farindon.

Ascus As"cus noun ; plural Asci [ New Latin , from Greek ... a bladder.] (Botany) A small membranous bladder or tube in which are inclosed the seedlike reproductive particles or sporules of lichens and certain fungi.

Asemia A·se"mi·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... priv. + ... sign.] (Medicine) Loss of power to express, or to understand, symbols or signs of thought.

Asepsis A·sep"sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... priv. + sepsis .] State of being aseptic; the methods or processes of asepticizing.

Aseptic A·sep"tic adjective [ Prefix a- not + septic .] Not liable to putrefaction; nonputrescent. -- noun An aseptic substance.

Asexual A·sex"u·al adjective [ Prefix a- not + sexual .] (Biol.) Having no distinct sex; without sexual action; as, asexual reproduction. See Fission and Gemmation .

Asexualization A·sex`u·al·i·za"tion noun [ Asexual + -ize + -ation .] The act or process of sterilizing an animal or human being, as by vasectomy.

Asexually A·sex"u·al·ly adverb In an asexual manner; without sexual agency.

Ash Ash (ăsh) noun [ Middle English asch , esh , Anglo-Saxon æsc ; akin to Old High German asc , Swedish & Danish ask , Icelandic askr , Dutch esch , German esche .] 1. (Botany) A genus of trees of the Olive family, having opposite pinnate leaves, many of the species furnishing valuable timber, as the European ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ) and the white ash ( F. Americana ).

Prickly ash ( Zanthoxylum Americanum ) and Poison ash ( Rhus venenata ) are shrubs of different families, somewhat resembling the true ashes in their foliage. -- Mountain ash . See Roman tree , and under Mountain .

2. The tough, elastic wood of the ash tree.

Ash is used adjectively, or as the first part of a compound term; as, ash bud, ash wood, ash tree, etc.

Ash Ash noun , sing. of Ashes .

» Ash is rarely used in the singular except in connection with chemical or geological products; as, soda ash , coal which yields a red ash , etc., or as a qualifying or combining word; as, ash bin, ash heap, ash hole, ash pan, ash pit, ash -grey, ash -colored, pearl ash , pot ash .

Bone ash , burnt powered; bone earth. -- Volcanic ash . See under Ashes .

Ash Ash transitive verb To strew or sprinkle with ashes. Howell.

Ash Wednesday Ash` Wednes"day (ăsh` wĕnz"da). The first day of Lent; -- so called from a custom in the Roman Catholic church of putting ashes, on that day, upon the foreheads of penitents.

Ash-colored Ash"-col`ored adjective Of the color of ashes; a whitish gray or brownish gray.

Ash-fire Ash"-fire noun A low fire used in chemical operations.

Ash-furnace, Ash-oven Ash"-fur`nace, Ash"-ov`en noun A furnace or oven for fritting materials for glass making.

Ashame A·shame transitive verb [ Prefix a- + shame : confer Anglo-Saxon āscamian to shame (where ā- is the same as Goth. us- , German er- , and orig. meant out ), gescamian , gesceamian , to shame.] To shame. [ R.] Barrow.

Ashamed A·shamed" adjective [ Orig. a past participle of ashame , transitive verb ] Affected by shame; abashed or confused by guilt, or a conviction or consciousness of some wrong action or impropriety. "I am ashamed to beg." Wyclif.

All that forsake thee shall be ashamed .
Jer. xvii. 13.

I began to be ashamed of sitting idle.
Johnson.

Enough to make us ashamed of our species.
Macaulay.

An ashamed person can hardly endure to meet the gaze of those present.
Darwin.

» Ashamed seldom precedes the noun or pronoun it qualifies. By a Hebraism, it is sometimes used in the Bible to mean disappointed , or defeated .

Ashamedly A·sham"ed·ly adverb Bashfully. [ R.]

Ashantee Ash`an·tee" noun ; plural Ashantees A native or an inhabitant of Ashantee in Western Africa.

Ashantee Ash`an·tee" adjective Of or pertaining to Ashantee.

Ashen Ash"en adjective [ See Ash , the tree.] Of or pertaining to the ash tree. " Ashen poles." Dryden.

Ashen Ash"en adjective Consisting of, or resembling, ashes; of a color between brown and gray, or white and gray.

The ashen hue of age.
Sir W. Scott.

Ashen Ash"en noun , obsolete plural for Ashes . Chaucer.

Ashery Ash"er·y noun 1. A depository for ashes.

2. A place where potash is made.

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