v. Also 7 asperce. [f. L. aspers- ppl. stem of asperg-ĕre: see ASPERGE. Cf. aspersé in Cotgr.] Always trans.
1. To besprinkle, bespatter (a person or thing) with.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxiv. 90. She dide asperse the place with the waters.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 174. There are Foxes aspersed over with black spots.
1659. Lestrange, Alliance Div. Off., viii. (1846), 368. The child is thrice to be aspersed with water on the face.
1843. Thackeray, Irish Sk.-bk. (1863), 157. The people, as they entered, aspersed themselves with all their might.
2. To sprinkle, scatter (liquid, dust, etc.).
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 6. With some golden hair aspersed among the residue.
1815. Southey, Roderick, xxv. 487. Blood, which hung on every hair, Aspersed like dew-drops.
† 3. To sprinkle in as an ingredient, intermingle.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par., Pref. 6. Except he had in the moste desired birthe of the same, aspersed the deathe of your mooste dere Mother: we should by our immoderate felicitee have tempted and provoked hym to take you bothe from vs.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 65. Making a plaister thereof with Barley meal and a little Brimstone aspersed.
4. To bespatter (a person, his character, etc.) with damaging reports, false and injurious charges or imputations. In 17th c.: Injuriously and falsely to charge with.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. viii. 40. Monkish humours haue aspersed other such men with bitter reproaches.
1662. J. Bargrave, Pope Alex. VII. (1867), 53. He is unjustly aspersed with pride.
1790. Paley, Hor. Paul., Rom. i. 10. The calumnies with which the Jews had aspersed him.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, III. i. 27. The criminations with which the leaders … appeared desirous of aspersing one another.
† b. with flattery or praise. Obs. rare.
1702. Rowe, Ambit. Step-Moth. (ed. 2), Ded. Men of your Lordship’s Figure and Station … ought [not] to be aspers’d with such Pieces of Flattery while living.
5. To spread false and injurious charges against; to detract from, slander, calumniate, traduce, defame, vilify: a. a person.
1647. Sanderson, 21 Serm., Ad Aul. (1673), 216. Aspersing those that are otherwise minded than themselves.
1660. Stanley, Hist. Philos., 170/2. Xenophon asperseth him, that he went thither to share in the Sicilian Luxury.
1771. Junius Lett., xliv. 240. A libel tending to asperse or vilify the house of Commons.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xiii. There were foul tongues to asperse a Douglas.
b. character, reputation, honor, etc.
1651. W. G., trans. Cowel’s Inst., 215. He asperceth the credit and reputation of another by approbrious words.
1868. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, 49. Has any one been aspersing your husband’s character?
† 6. To sprinkle, cast (a damaging imputation or false charge) upon. Obs. rare.
1630. Brathwait, Eng. Gentl. (1641), 7. He can asperse no greater imputation on Gentry. Ibid. (1635), Arcad. Pr., 243. Nor asperse upon the republike so foule a stain.
