Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
ass

more about ass

ass


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ass  \Ass\,  n.  [OE.  asse,  AS  assa;  akin  to  Icel.  asni,  W.  asen, 
  asyn,  L.  asinus,  dim.  aselus  Gr  ?;  also  to  AS  esol,  OHG. 
  esil,  G.  esel,  Goth.  asilus,  Dan.  [ae]sel,  Lith.  asilas, 
  Bohem.  osel,  Pol.  osiel.  The  word  is  prob.  of  Semitic  origin; 
  cf  Heb.  ath?n  she  ass.  Cf  {Ease}.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  A  quadruped  of  the  genus  {Equus}  ({E.  asinus}), 
  smaller  than  the  horse,  and  having  a  peculiarly  harsh  bray 
  and  long  ears.  The  tame  or  domestic  ass  is  patient,  slow, 
  and  sure-footed,  and  has  become  the  type  of  obstinacy  and 
  stupidity.  There  are  several  species  of  wild  asses  which 
  are  swift-footed. 
 
  2.  A  dull,  heavy,  stupid  fellow;  a  dolt.  --Shak. 
 
  {Asses'  Bridge}.  [L.  pons  asinorum.]  The  fifth  proposition  of 
  the  first  book  of  Euclid,  ``The  angles  at  the  base  of  an 
  isosceles  triangle  are  equal  to  one  another.''  [Sportive] 
  ``A  schoolboy,  stammering  out  his  Asses'  Bridge.''  --F. 
  Harrison. 
 
  {To  make  an  ass  of  one's  self},  to  do  or  say  something  very 
  foolish  or  absurd. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ass 
  n  1:  the  fleshy  part  of  the  human  body  that  you  sit  on  [syn:  {buttocks}, 
  {arse},  {butt},  {backside},  {bum},  {buns},  {can},  {fundament}, 
  {hindquarters},  {hind  end},  {keister},  {posterior},  {prat}, 
  {rear},  {rear  end},  {rump},  {stern},  {seat},  {tail},  {tail 
  end},  {tooshie},  {tush},  {bottom},  {behind},  {derriere}, 
  {fanny}] 
  2:  a  pompous  fool 
  3:  hardy  and  sure-footed  animal  smaller  and  with  longer  ears 
  than  the  horse 
  4:  slang  terms  for  sexual  intercourse  [syn:  {fuck},  {fucking}, 
  {screw},  {screwing},  {piece  of  ass},  {roll  in  the  hay},  {shag}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Ass 
  frequently  mentioned  throughout  Scripture.  Of  the  domesticated 
  species  we  read  of  (1.)  The  she  ass  (Heb.  'athon),  so  named 
  from  its  slowness  (Gen.  12:16;  45:23;  Num.  22:23;  1  Sam.  9:3). 
  (2.)  The  male  ass  (Heb.  hamor),  the  common  working  ass  of 
  Western  Asia,  so  called  from  its  red  colour.  Issachar  is 
  compared  to  a  strong  ass  (Gen.  49:14).  It  was  forbidden  to  yoke 
  together  an  ass  and  an  ox  in  the  plough  (Deut.  22:10).  (3.)  The 
  ass's  colt  (Heb.  'air),  mentioned  Judg.  10:4;  12:14.  It  is 
  rendered  foal"  in  Gen.  32:15;  49:11.  (Comp.  Job  11:12;  Isa. 
  30:6.)  The  ass  is  an  unclean  animal,  because  it  does  not  chew 
  the  cud  (Lev.  11:26.  Comp.  2  Kings  6:25).  Asses  constituted  a 
  considerable  portion  of  wealth  in  ancient  times  (Gen.  12:16; 
  30:43;  1  Chr.  27:30;  Job  1:3;  42:12).  They  were  noted  for  their 
  spirit  and  their  attachment  to  their  master  (Isa.  1:3).  They  are 
  frequently  spoken  of  as  having  been  ridden  upon  as  by  Abraham 
  (Gen.  22:3),  Balaam  (Num.  22:21),  the  disobedient  prophet  (1 
  Kings  13:23),  the  family  of  Abdon  the  judge,  seventy  in  number 
  (Judg.  12:14),  Zipporah  (Ex.  4:20),  the  Shunammite  (1  Sam. 
  25:30),  etc  Zechariah  (9:9)  predicted  our  Lord's  triumphal 
  entrance  into  Jerusalem,  "riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt," 
  etc  (Matt.  21:5,  R.V.). 
 
  Of  wild  asses  two  species  are  noticed,  (1)  that  called  in 
  Hebrew  _'arod_,  mentioned  Job  39:5  and  Dan.  5:21,  noted  for  its 
  swiftness;  and  (2)  that  called  _pe're_,  the  wild  ass  of  Asia 
  (Job  39:6-8;  6:5;  11:12;  Isa.  32:14;  Jer.  2:24;  14:6,  etc.).  The 
  wild  ass  was  distinguished  for  its  fleetness  and  its  extreme 
  shyness.  In  allusion  to  his  mode  of  life,  Ishmael  is  likened  to 
  a  wild  ass  (Gen.  16:12.  Here  the  word  is  simply  rendered  wild" 
  in  the  Authorized  Version,  but  in  the  Revised  Version,  "wild-ass 
  among  men"). 
 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  ASS,  n.  A  public  singer  with  a  good  voice  but  no  ear.  In  Virginia 
  City,  Nevada,  he  is  called  the  Washoe  Canary,  in  Dakota,  the  Senator, 
  and  everywhere  the  Donkey.  The  animal  is  widely  and  variously 
  celebrated  in  the  literature,  art  and  religion  of  every  age  and 
  country;  no  other  so  engages  and  fires  the  human  imagination  as  this 
  noble  vertebrate.  Indeed,  it  is  doubted  by  some  (Ramasilus,  _lib. 
 




more about ass