Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A false or damaging accusation or insinuation.
- noun The act of slandering or libeling; defaming.
- noun A sprinkling, especially with holy water.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A sprinkling, as of or with water.
- noun The making of calumnious reports, imputations, or charges; a derogatory assertion or criticism; calumny; censure.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense.
- noun The spreading of calumniations reports or charges which tarnish reputation, like the bespattering of a body with foul water; calumny.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An attack on somebody's
reputation or good name, often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon…. - noun A
sprinkling of holy water.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
- noun a disparaging remark
- noun the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare)
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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This kind of aspersion on a serious and honorable scholar who scrupulously abstained from imposing his personal views on the conference is no better than political name-calling.
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"The South German cannot endure the North German, the Englishman casts every kind of aspersion upon the Scot, the Spaniard despises the Portuguese."
Matt Cooper: Clinton, Obama and the Narcissism of Small Differences 2008
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VIEW FAVORITES yahooBuzzArticleHeadline = 'George Allen and the "aspersion" of Judaism'; yahooBuzzArticleSummary = 'So why is Allen so upset?
OpEdNews - Quicklink: George Allen and the "aspersion" of Judaism 2006
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OpEdNews - Quicklink: George Allen and the "aspersion" of Judaism
OpEdNews - Quicklink: George Allen and the "aspersion" of Judaism 2006
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On the contrary, I made such efforts to welcome the shower of dirty water, that at the end of half an hour I had taken quite a fancy to this novel kind of aspersion, and I resolved to come as often as I could to the happy spot where such treasures were freely bestowed.
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux 1873-1897 1912
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On the contrary, I made such efforts to welcome the shower of dirty water, that at the end of half an hour I had taken quite a fancy to this novel kind of aspersion, and I resolved to come as often as I could to the happy spot where such treasures were freely bestowed.
The Story of a Soul Lisieux, St Therese of 1912
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On the contrary, I made such efforts to welcome the shower of dirty water, that at the end of half an hour I had taken quite a fancy to this novel kind of aspersion, and I resolved to come as often as I could to the happy spot where such treasures were freely bestowed.
The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme): The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux With Additional Writings and Sayings of St. Thérèse de Lisieux Th��r��se 1885
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I protest in the name of my countrywomen against the aspersion which is cast upon them by those who say that woman is not fit to hold office or discharge public trusts.
History of Woman Suffrage, Volume II Matilda Joslyn Gage 1862
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For in no way can their '' aspersion '' be considered baptism.
orrologion 2009
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Thought it cast some kind of aspersion on dear Eric's clinical judgement, I suppose. "
She Closed Her Eyes 2010
Drogulus commented on the word aspersion
Strange how a word can simultaneously mean "the act of defaming of slandering" and "a sprinkling with holy water".
September 7, 2012