As*cet"ic (&?;) a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to exercise, to practice gymnastics.] Extremely rigid in self-denial and devotions; austere; severe.
The stern ascetic rigor of the Temple discipline.
Sir W. Scott.
As*cet"ic, n. In the early church, one who devoted himself to a solitary and contemplative life, characterized by devotion, extreme self-denial, and self-mortification; a hermit; a recluse; hence, one who practices extreme rigor and self-denial in religious things.
I am far from commending those ascetics that take up their quarters in deserts.
Norris.
Ascetic theology, the science which treats of the practice of the theological and moral virtues, and the counsels of perfection. Am. Cyc.
As*cet"i*cism (&?;), n. The condition, practice, or mode of life, of ascetics.
As"cham (&?;), n. [From Roger Ascham, who was a great lover of archery.] A sort of cupboard, or case, to contain bows and other implements of archery.
||As"ci, n. pl. See Ascus.
As"cian, n. One of the Ascii.
As*cid"i*an (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; bladder, pouch.] (Zoöl.) One of the Ascidioidea, or in a more general sense, one of the Tunicata. Also as an adj.
||As*cid`i*a"ri*um (&?;), n. [NL. See Ascidium.] (Zoöl.) The structure which unites together the ascidiozooids in a compound ascidian.
As*cid"i*form, a. [Gr. &?; a pouch + - form.] (Zoöl.) Shaped like an ascidian.
||As*cid`i*oid"e*a (&?;), n. pl. [NL., fr. ascidium + -oid. See Ascidium.] (Zoöl.) A group of Tunicata, often shaped like a two-necked bottle. The group includes, social, and compound species. The gill is a netlike structure within the oral aperture. The integument is usually leathery in texture. See Illustration in Appendix.
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As*cid`i*o*zo"oid (s*sd`**z"oid), n. [Ascidium + zooid.] (Zoöl.) One of the individual members of a compound ascidian. See Ascidioidea.
||As*cid"i*um (s*sd"*m), n.; pl. Ascidia (-). [NL., fr. ascus. See Ascus.] 1. (Bot.) A pitcher-shaped, or flask-shaped, organ or appendage of a plant, as the leaves of the pitcher plant, or the little bladderlike traps of the bladderwort (Utricularia).
2. pl. (Zoöl.) A genus of simple ascidians, which formerly included most of the known species. It is sometimes used as a name for the Ascidioidea, or for all the Tunicata.
As*cig"er*ous (&?;), a. [Ascus + - gerous.] (Bot.) Having asci. Loudon.
{ ||As"ci*i (&?;), As"cians (&?;), } n. pl. [L. ascii, pl. of ascius, Gr. &?; without shadow; 'a priv. + &?; shadow.] Persons who, at certain times of the year, have no shadow at noon; -- applied to the inhabitants of the torrid zone, who have, twice a year, a vertical sun.
||As*ci"tes (&?;), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?; (sc. &?; disease), fr. &?; bladder, belly.] (Med.) A collection of serous fluid in the cavity of the abdomen; dropsy of the peritoneum. Dunglison.
{ As*cit"ic (&?;), As*cit"ic*al (&?;), } a. Of, pertaining to, or affected by, ascites; dropsical.
As`ci*ti"tious (&?;), a. [See Adscititious.] Supplemental; not inherent or original; adscititious; additional; assumed.
Homer has been reckoned an ascititious name.
Pope.
As*cle"pi*ad (&?;), n. (Gr. & L. Pros.) A choriambic verse, first used by the Greek poet Asclepias, consisting of four feet, viz., a spondee, two choriambi, and an iambus.
As*cle`pi*a*da"ceous, a. [See Asclepias.] (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, plants of the Milkweed family.
||As*cle"pi*as, n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, named from Asclepios or Aesculapius.] (Bot.) A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and some other species having medicinal properties.
Asclepias butterfly (Zoöl.), a large, handsome, red and black butterfly (Danais Archippus), found in both hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias.
||As`co*coc"cus (&?;), n.; pl. Ascococci (&?;). [NL., fr. Gr. 'asko`s bladder, bag + &?; kernel.] (Biol.) A form of micrococcus, found in putrid meat infusions, occurring in peculiar masses, each of which is inclosed in a hyaline capsule and contains a large number of spherical micrococci.
As"co*spore (&?;), n. [Ascus + spore.] (Bot.) One of the spores contained in the asci of lichens and fungi. [See Illust. of Ascus.]
As*crib"a*ble (&?;), a. Capable of being ascribed; attributable.
As*cribe" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ascribed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Ascribing.] [L. ascribere, adscribere, to ascribe; ad + scribere to write: cf. OF. ascrire. See Scribe.] 1. To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause; as, his death was ascribed to a poison; to ascribe an effect to the right cause; to ascribe such a book to such an author.
The finest [speech] that is ascribed to Satan in the whole poem.
Addison.
2. To attribute, as a quality, or an appurtenance; to consider or allege to belong.
Syn. -- To Ascribe, Attribute, Impute. Attribute denotes, 1. To refer some quality or attribute to a being; as, to attribute power to God. 2. To refer something to its cause or source; as, to attribute a backward spring to icebergs off the coast. Ascribe is used equally in both these senses, but involves a different image. To impute usually denotes to ascribe something doubtful or wrong, and hence, in general literature, has commonly a bad sense; as, to impute unworthy motives. The theological sense of impute is not here taken into view.
More than good-will to me attribute naught.
Spenser.
Ascribes his gettings to his parts and merit.
Pope.
And fairly quit him of the imputed blame.
Spenser.