This week’s theme
Words used figuratively

This week’s words
effervescent
malodorous
piquant
fulgent
aspersion


This week’s comments
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Next week’s theme
Coined words

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(uh-SPUHR-zhuhn/shuhn)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A damaging accusation: slander.
2. The sprinkling with water, as in baptism.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin aspergere (to sprinkle), from ad- (toward) + spargere (to strew). Earliest documented use: 1570.

NOTES:

Depending on the denomination, some common methods of baptism are submersion (dunking a person in water), immersion (dipping in water), affusion (pouring water over the head), and aspersion (sprinkling).

USAGE:

“However, defence lawyer Susan Gray said that the Crown had only cast aspersions on her client, and had proven little.”
Tommy Livingston; Mum ‘Has Paid the Ultimate Price’; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Sep 29, 2017.

“Baptism by immersion, aspersion or sprinkling are all irrelevant to my faith. Looking out for the least of them and treating people with love and respect is the mission.”
David Hunter; It’s How We Treat Others That Matters; News Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee); Sep 30, 2014.

See more usage examples of aspersion in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: