Asthenic As·then"ic adjective [ Greek 'asqeniko`s ; 'a priv. + sqe`nos strength.] (Medicine) Characterized by, or pertaining to, debility; weak; debilitating.

Asthenopia As`the·no"pi·a noun [ Greek 'a priv. + sqe`nos strength + 'w`ps eye.] Weakness of sight. Quain. -- As`the*nop"ic adjective

Asthma Asth"ma noun [ Greek ... short-drawn breath, from ... to blow, for ...: confer Sanskrit vā , Goth. waian , to blow, English wind .] (Medicine) A disease, characterized by difficulty of breathing (due to a spasmodic contraction of the bronchi), recurring at intervals, accompanied with a wheezing sound, a sense of constriction in the chest, a cough, and expectoration.

Asthma paper Asth"ma pa"per Paper impregnated with saltpeter. The fumes from the burning paper are often inhaled as an alleviative by asthmatics.

Asthmatic Asth·mat"ic noun A person affected with asthma.

Asthmatic, Asthmatical Asth·mat"ic, Asth·mat"ic·al adjective [ Latin asthmaticus , Greek ....] Of or pertaining to asthma; as, an asthmatic cough; liable to, or suffering from, asthma; as, an asthmatic patient. -- Asth*mat"ic*al*ly , adverb

Astigmatic As`tig·mat"ic adjective (Med. & Opt.) Affected with, or pertaining to, astigmatism; as, astigmatic eyes; also, remedying astigmatism; as, astigmatic lenses.

Astigmatism A·stig"ma·tism noun [ Greek 'a priv. + ..., ..., a prick of a pointed instrument, a spot, from ... to prick: confer French astigmatisme .] (Med. & Opt.) A defect of the eye or of a lens, in consequence of which the rays derived from one point are not brought to a single focal point, thus causing imperfect images or indistinctness of vision.

» The term is applied especially to the defect causing images of lines having a certain direction to be indistinct, or imperfectly seen, while those of lines transverse to the former are distinct, or clearly seen.

Astipulate As·tip"u·late intransitive verb [ Latin astipulari ; ad + stipulari to stipulate.] To assent. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Astipulation As·tip`u·la"tion noun [ Latin astipulatio .] Stipulation; agreement. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Astir A·stir" adverb & adjective [ Prefix a- + stir .] Stirring; in a state of activity or motion; out of bed.

Astomatous, Astomous A·stom"a·tous, As"to·mous adjective [ Greek 'a priv. + ..., ..., mouth.] Not possessing a mouth.

Aston, Astone As·ton", As·tone" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Astoned , Astond , or Astound .] [ See Astonish .] To stun; to astonish; to stupefy. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Astonied As·ton"ied past participle Stunned; astonished. See Astony . [ Archaic]

And I astonied fell and could not pray.
Mrs. Browning.

Astonish As·ton"ish transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Astonished ; present participle & verbal noun Astonishing .] [ Middle English astonien , astunian , astonen , Old French estoner , French étonner , from Latin ex out + tonare to thunder, but perhaps influenced by English stun . See Thunder , Astound , Astony .] 1. To stun; to render senseless, as by a blow. [ Obsolete]

Enough, captain; you have astonished him. [ Fluellen had struck Pistol].
Shak.

The very cramp-fish [ i. e. , torpedo] . . . being herself not benumbed, is able to astonish others.
Holland.

2. To strike with sudden fear, terror, or wonder; to amaze; to surprise greatly, as with something unaccountable; to confound with some sudden emotion or passion.

Musidorus . . . had his wits astonished with sorrow.
Sidney.

I, Daniel . . . was astonished at the vision.
Dan. viii. 27.

Syn. -- To amaze; astound; overwhelm; surprise. -- Astonished , Surprised . We are surprised at what is unexpected. We are astonished at what is above or beyond our comprehension. We are taken by surprise. We are struck with astonishment. C. J. Smith. See Amaze .

Astonishedly As·ton"ish·ed·ly adverb In an astonished manner. [ R.] Bp. Hall.

Astonishing As·ton"ish·ing adjective Very wonderful; of a nature to excite astonishment; as, an astonishing event.

Syn. -- Amazing; surprising; wonderful; marvelous.

Astonishment As·ton"ish·ment noun [ Confer Old French estonnement , French étonnement .] 1. The condition of one who is stunned. Hence: Numbness; loss of sensation; stupor; loss of sense. [ Obsolete]

A coldness and astonishment in his loins, as folk say.
Holland.

2. Dismay; consternation. [ Archaic] Spenser.

3. The overpowering emotion excited when something unaccountable, wonderful, or dreadful is presented to the mind; an intense degree of surprise; amazement.

Lest the place
And my quaint habits breed astonishment .
Milton.

4. The object causing such an emotion.

Thou shalt become an astonishment .
Deut. xxviii. 37.

Syn. -- Amazement; wonder; surprise.

Astony As·ton"y transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Astonied ; present participle & verbal noun Astonying . See Astone .] To stun; to bewilder; to astonish; to dismay. [ Archaic]

The captain of the Helots . . . strake Palladius upon the side of his head, that he reeled astonied .
Sir P. Sidney.

This sodeyn cas this man astonied so,
That reed he wex, abayst, and al quaking.
Chaucer.

Astoop A·stoop" adverb [ Prefix a- + stoop .] In a stooping or inclined position. Gay.

Astound As·tound" adjective [ Middle English astouned , astound , astoned , past participle of astone . See Astone .] Stunned; astounded; astonished. [ Archaic] Spenser.

Thus Ellen, dizzy and astound .
As sudden ruin yawned around.
Sir W. Scott.

Astound As·tound" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Astounded , [ Obsolete] Astound ; present participle & verbal noun Astounding .] [ See Astound , adjective ] 1. To stun; to stupefy.

No puissant stroke his senses once astound .
Fairfax.

2. To astonish; to strike with amazement; to confound with wonder, surprise, or fear.

These thoughts may startle well, but not astound
The virtuous mind.
Milton.

Astounding As·tound"ing adjective Of a nature to astound; astonishing; amazing; as, an astounding force, statement, or fact. -- As*tound"ing*ly , adverb

Astoundment As·tound"ment noun Amazement. Coleridge.

Astrachan As`tra·chan" adjective & noun See Astrakhan .

Astraddle A·strad"dle adverb [ Prefix a- + straddle .] In a straddling position; astride; bestriding; as, to sit astraddle a horse.

Astragal As"tra·gal noun [ Latin astragalus , Greek ... the ankle bone, a molding in the capital of the Ionic column.] 1. (Architecture) A convex molding of rounded surface, generally from half to three quarters of a circle.

2. (Gun.) A round molding encircling a cannon near the mouth.

Astragalar As·trag"a·lar adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the astragalus.

Astragaloid As·trag"a·loid adjective [ Astragalus + -oid .] (Anat.) Resembling the astragalus in form.

Astragalomancy As·trag"a·lo·man`cy noun [ Greek ... ankle bone, die + -mancy .] Divination by means of small bones or dice.

Astragalus As·trag"a·lus noun [ Latin See Astragal .] 1. (Anat.) The ankle bone, or hock bone; the bone of the tarsus which articulates with the tibia at the ankle.

2. (Botany) A genus of papilionaceous plants, of the tribe Galegeĉ , containing numerous species, two of which are called, in English, milk vetch and licorice vetch . Gum tragacanth is obtained from different oriental species, particularly the A. gummifer and A. verus .

3. (Architecture) See Astragal , 1.

Astrakhan As`tra·khan" adjective Of or pertaining to Astrakhan in Russia or its products; made of an Astrakhan skin. - - noun The skin of stillborn or young lambs of that region, the curled wool of which resembles fur.

Astral As"tral adjective [ Latin astralis , from astrum star, Greek ...: confer French astral . See Star .] Pertaining to, coming from, or resembling, the stars; starry; starlike.

Shines only with an astral luster.
I. Taylor.

Some astral forms I must invoke by prayer.
Dryden.

Astral lamp , an Argand lamp so constructed that no shadow is cast upon the table by the flattened ring-shaped reservoir in which the oil is contained. -- Astral spirits , spirits formerly supposed to live in the heavenly bodies or the aërial regions, and represented in the Middle Ages as fallen angels, spirits of the dead, or spirits originating in fire.

Astral As"tral adjective 1. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to an aster; as, astral rays; astral sphere.

2. (Theosophy) Consisting of, belonging to, or designating, a kind of supersensible substance alleged to be next above the tangible world in refinement; as, astral spirits; astral bodies of persons; astral current.

Astrand A·strand" adverb & adjective [ Prefix a- + strand .] Stranded. Sir W. Scott.

Astray A·stray" adverb & adjective [ See Estray , Stray .] Out of the right, either in a literal or in a figurative sense; wandering; as, to lead one astray .

Ye were as sheep going astray .
1 Pet. ii. 25.

Astrict As·trict" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Astricted ; present participle & verbal noun Astricting .] [ Latin astrictus , past participle of astringere . See Astringe .] 1. To bind up; to confine; to constrict; to contract.

The solid parts were to be relaxed or astricted .
Arbuthnot.

2. To bind; to constrain; to restrict; to limit. [ R.]

The mind is astricted to certain necessary modes or forms of thought.
Sir W. Hamilton.

3. (Scots Law) To restrict the tenure of; as, to astrict lands. See Astriction , 4. Burrill.

Astrict As·trict" adjective Concise; contracted. [ Obsolete] Weever.

Astriction As·tric"tion noun [ Latin astrictio .] 1. The act of binding; restriction; also, obligation. Milton.

2. (Medicine) (a) A contraction of parts by applications; the action of an astringent substance on the animal economy. Dunglison. (b) Constipation. Arbuthnot.

3. Astringency. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

4. (Scots Law) An obligation to have the grain growing on certain lands ground at a certain mill, the owner paying a toll. Bell.

» The lands were said to be astricted to the mill.

Astrictive As·tric"tive adjective Binding; astringent. -- noun An astringent. -- As*tric"tive*ly , adverb

Astrictory As·tric"to·ry adjective Astrictive. [ R.]

Astride A·stride" adverb [ Prefix a- + stride .] With one leg on each side, as a man when on horseback; with the legs stretched wide apart; astraddle.

Placed astride upon the bars of the palisade.
Sir W. Scott.

Glasses with horn bows sat astride on his nose.
Longfellow.

Astriferous As·trif"er·ous (acr/s*trĭf"ẽr*ŭs) adjective [ Latin astrifer ; astrum star + ferre to bear.] Bearing stars. [ R.] Blount.

Astringe As·tringe" (ăs*trĭnj") transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Astringed (-trĭnjd"); present participle & verbal noun Astringing (-jĭng).] [ Latin astringere ; ad + stringere to draw tight. Confer Astrict , and see Strain , transitive verb ] 1. To bind fast; to constrict; to contract; to cause parts to draw together; to compress.

Which contraction . . . astringeth the moisture of the brain and thereby sendeth tears into the eyes.
Bacon.

2. To bind by moral or legal obligation. Wolsey.

Astringency As·trin"gen·cy (ăs*trĭn"j e n*sȳ) noun The quality of being astringent; the power of contracting the parts of the body; that quality in medicines or other substances which causes contraction of the organic textures; as, the astringency of tannin.

Astringent As·trin"gent (-j e nt) adjective [ Latin astringens , present participle of astringere : confer French astringent . See Astringe .] 1. Drawing together the tissues; binding; contracting; -- opposed to laxative ; as, astringent medicines; a butter and astringent taste; astringent fruit.

2. Stern; austere; as, an astringent type of virtue.

Astringent As·trin"gent noun A medicine or other substance that produces contraction in the soft organic textures, and checks discharges of blood, mucus, etc.

External astringents are called styptics.
Dunglison.

Astringently As·trin"gent·ly adverb In an astringent manner.

Astringer As·trin"ger noun [ Middle English ostreger , Old French ostrucier , French autoursier , from Old French austour , ostor , hawk, French autour ; confer Latin acceptor , for accipiter , hawk.] A falconer who keeps a goshawk. [ Obsolete] Shak. Cowell. [ Written also austringer .]

Astro- As"tro- The combining form of the Greek word 'a`stron , meaning star .

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