Also 4–6 aspecte, (6 espect). [ad. L. aspect-us (or AFr. aspect 15th c. in Littré), n. of action f. a-, ad-spic-ĕre to look at, f. ad to + spec-ĕre to look. Accented aspe·ct by Shakespeare, Milton, Swift, and occas. by modern poets, but a·spect already in Tourneur, 1609. The astrological sense was apparently the earliest, and often colored the others.]
I. The action of looking at.
† 1. The action of looking at anything; beholding, contemplation; gaze, view. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., III. vi. (1495), 53. The soule hath two manere aspectes … for he beholdyth the ouer thynges … and … the nether thinges.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., III. (1617), 73. That which we haue by plaine aspect and intuitive beholding.
1614. B. Rich, Honest. Age (1844), 12. You good and gracious women … let mee intreat your fauourable aspect.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 924. The tradition … that the basilisk killeth by aspect.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 539, ¶ 1. The downcast Eye, and the Recovery into a sudden full Aspect.
1810. Coleridge, Friend, I. xiv. (1867), 62. A plain aspect or intuitive beholding of truth in its eternal and immutable Source [cf. quot. 1594].
b. A look, a glance. Also fig.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., II. ii. 113. Some other Mistresse hath thy sweet aspects.
1644. Milton, Jus Pop., 17. Borrowing resplendence like the Moon from the Suns aspect.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 87, ¶ 8. To receive kind Aspects from those little Thrones.
1858. O. W. Holmes, Aut. Breakf.-t., xi. 109. Meeting the cold aspect of Duty.
† 2. Mental looking, sight; consideration, regard, respect. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 143. In thin aspect ben alle aliche The pouer man and eke the riche.
1517. H. Watson, Shyppe of Fooles, Argt. Hauynge aspecte vnto the capacyte of my tendre yeres.
c. 1525. Skelton, Bk. Three Fooles. O foole, haue aspecte vnto that whiche thou commyttest!
1643. Denham, Cooper’s Hill, Ep. Ded. Those latter parts … have not yet received your Majesties favourable Aspect.
1673. Lady’s Call., II. ii. § 23. 73. Whatever duty is perform’d to Man with aspect on God, he owns as to himself.
† 3. A looking for anything, expectation. Obs.
1587. Forman, Diary, 18. § 3. I was discharged … contrary to the aspecte of all men.
II. Way of looking, as to position or direction.
4. Astrol. The relative positions of the heavenly bodies as they appear to an observer on the earth’s surface at a given time. (prop., The way in which the planets, from their relative positions, look upon each other, but pop. transferred to their joint look upon the earth.)
See quot. 1594. Conjunction and opposition, the former especially, were often not reckoned aspects.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 229. Som wikke aspect or disposicion Of Saturne. Ibid. (c. 1391), Astrol., I. iv. 19. Conforted with frendly aspectys of planetes.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. ix. (1495), 309. Coniunccion and apposicion ben … somtyme … callyd aspectes by misusynge and chaungynge of that name aspect.
1552. Lyndesay, Papyngo, 133. The bad espect of Saturne wes appesit.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., VII. x. 662. The Characters of which aspects are these heere following: [characters]; Whereof the first signifieth a Conjunction, the second an opposition, the third a trine aspect, the fourth a quadrant aspect, and the fift a sextile aspect.
1597. Bacon, Coulers Good & Evill, vii. The Sunne … is good by aspect, but euill by coniunction.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 92. Corrects the ill Aspects of Planets euill.
1609. Tourneur, Fun. Poeme, 343. Partes, bodies, figures, aspects, distances.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., III. xiv. 24. Sisera fought when their was an evill aspect or malignant influence of heaven upon him.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 658. Thir planetarie motions and aspects In Sextile, Square, and Trine, and Opposite.
1681. Warton, Planet. Aspects, Wks. (1683), 90. Kepler defines an aspect … an Angle made in the Earth by the Luminous Beams of two Planets, of strength to stir up the vertue of all sublunary things.
1713. Swift, On Partridge, Wks. 1755, III. II. 81. He Mars could join To Venus in aspect malign.
1819. J. Wilson, Dict. Astrol., 100. Many authors deny the conjunction to be an aspect, because the stars do not behold each other, but their influence is on the Earth, which they behold with a conjunct aspect.
5. A looking in a given direction; the facing or fronting of anything, as a house, a window, or a steep or sloping surface, in any direction; exposure.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 541. The setting Sun … with right aspect Against the eastern Gate of Paradise.
a. 1745. Swift, Will, Wks. 1755, VI. I. 217. I have built a strong wall…, faced to the south aspect with brick.
1849. Mrs. Somerville, Connex. Phys. Sc., xxvi. 291. Aspect … has also a great influence [on line of perpetual snow].
1864. Kerr, Gentl. House, 88. The aspect of a room is the relation of its windows to sunshine and weather.
6. The side or surface that fronts or is turned towards any given direction.
1849. Johnston, in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, II. vii. 372. Legs … armed with short bristles … on the inner aspect.
1854. Scoffern, in Orr’s Circ. Sc., Chem. 218. The lower aspect of the cover … becomes vitreously electrified.
1881. G. Busk, in Jrnl. Microsc. Sc., Jan., 4. On the dorsal aspect the zoœcia present a still greater peculiarity.
7. The direction in which a thing has respect or practical bearing; bearing upon, reference to.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., X. iii. Gyvyng them place after the aspect.
1657. Cromwell, Sp., 20 April. Divers things … which I hope have a public aspect.
1660. Waterhouse, Arms & Arm., 4. Things that have no direct aspect on peace.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 35. It had a general aspect to all Mankind.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., vi. (1852), 167. The aspect of atonement is obviously towards creatures; working effects on them, not on God.
† 8. The point from which one looks; a point of sight or of view. Obs. rare.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Worthy Commun., i. § 15. 91. The beholders … as they stand in several aspects and distances, some see red and others … nothing but green.
9. One of the ways in which things may be looked at or contemplated, or in which they present themselves to the mind; a phase.
1824. Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 247. Their rarity and intrinsic worth render them acceptable under any aspect.
1870. Bowen, Logic, viii. 188. Merely two aspects of one and the same thought.
III. Appearance.
10. The look which one wears; expression of countenance; countenance, face.
c. 1590. Marlowe, 1st Pt. Tamburl., I. ii. Thy martial face and stout aspéct.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 54. Of such vineger aspect, That they’ll not show their teeth in way of smile.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 336. But soon his cleer aspect Returned.
1794. S. Williams, Hist. Vermont, 152. Much time was spent to give his countenance the aspect he aimed at.
1817. Byron, Manfred, III. iv. 76. Ah! he unveils his aspect: on his brow The thunder-scars are graven.
a. 1850. Rossetti, Dante & Circle, I. (1874), 231. And for that thine aspect gives sign thereof.
11. The appearance presented by an object to the eye; look.
1594. Greene, Look. Glasse (1861), 118. And thou bright Venus for thy clear aspéct.
1690–1. Lady R. Russell, Lett., 119, II. 84. Spots … with such an aspect, that the doctor thought it the small-pox.
1738. C. Wesley, Psalms (1765), III. No. 104. The Moon’s inconstant aspect.
1781. J. Moore, View Soc. It. (1790), I. i. 5. The venerable aspect of the Churches.
1876. Green, Short Hist., i. § 2. 10. The physical aspect of the country.
12. The appearance presented by circumstances, etc., to the mind.
a. 1704. Locke, Of Educ., Wks. (1727), III. 66 (J.). Shewing the different Sides of Things, and their various Aspects, and Probabilities.
1705–6. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., X. 102. Matters seem to look of a better aspect.
1883. J. Gilmour, Among Mongols, xviii. 210. The superficial aspects of Buddhism.
† 13. concr. A thing seen, a sight; an appearance.
c. 1600. J. Davies, in Farr, S. P. (1845), I. 250. To view perspicuously this sad aspect.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1754), 30. That he saw such Aspects … I never believ’d.
