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 — noun a) Roughness as of stone or weather. Asperity of Maines winter b) Something that is harsh and hard to endure. Go, ribald, get you henceTo your cabin with celerity.This is the consequenceOf ill advised asperity! … Wiktionary
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
