asperse

From Latin aspersus, past participle of aspergere.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈspɜːs/

• Audio (Berkshire)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈspɝs/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

asperse (third-person singular simple present asperses, present participle aspersing, simple past and past participle aspersed)

1. To sprinkle or scatter (liquid or dust).
   • 2004, Derek Walcott, The Prodigal, Farrar, Straus, Giroux, page 102:

     a hand in San Marco's font / aspersed him with foul canal water

2. To falsely or maliciously charge another; to slander.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     This is indeed a most aggravating circumstance, which attends depriving men unjustly of their reputation; for a man who is conscious of having an ill character, cannot justly be angry with those who neglect and slight him; but ought rather to despise such as affect his conversation, unless where a perfect intimacy must have convinced them that their friend’s character hath been falsely and injuriously aspersed.

• See also Thesaurus:defame

• Parsees, pareses, preases, preasse, seprase, serapes

asperse

1. third-person singular past historic of aspergere

asperse f pl

1. feminine plural of asperso

• esparse, paresse, passere, saprese, spesare, speserà

asperse

1. vocative masculine singular of aspersus