Meanings
asp1
plural asps
- archaicA water snake.
- A venomous viper native to southwestern Europe (Vipera aspis).
Synonyms: asp viper, European asp, aspis viper
- The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje).
- figurativelyAn evil person; a snake.
1 more example
'Two thousand years ago did thou and I and that Egyptian asp rest therein, but since then have I not set foot here, nor any man, and perchance it has fallen,' and, followed by the rest of us, she passed up a vast flight of broken and ruined steps into the outer court, and looked round into the gloom.
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC - A type of European fish (Aspius aspius).
- Southern USThe caterpillar of various types of flannel moths which induce an intense pain when their hair is touched.
- Southern USbroadlyAny caterpillar which inflicts a sharp pain when their hair is touched.
asp2
asp3
- UKabbreviationinitialismlawInitialism of Act of the Scottish Parliament.
Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 (2009 asp 9)
ASP4
plural ASPs
- abbreviationinitialismcomputingInitialism of application service provider.
- abbreviationinitialismbusinessInitialism of average selling price or (more rarely) average sale(s) price.
- abbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of ammunition supply point.
- abbreviationinitialismaccessibilityInitialism of accessibility / assistance / accompaniment service provider.
- abbreviationinitialismcomputingInitialism of answer set programming.
- Acronym of Armament Systems and Procedures, a US manufacturer of batons, restraints, and other products targeted at police and security.
- A customised pistol produced by this company until 1987.
- A telescopic baton manufactured by this company.
- abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Active Server Pages.
- USabbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of American Solidarity Party.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA venomous viper native to southwestern Europe (Vipera aspis).
More synonyms by meaning
nounof southern Europe; similar to but smaller than the adder
nouncobra used by the Pharaohs as a symbol of their power over life and death
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
asp · noun
- Ancient Greekἀσπίς“shield; Egyptian cobra Naja haje”
- Latinaspis
- Old Frenchaspe
- Middle Englishaspe
- Englishasp
From Middle English aspe, from Old French aspe, from Latin aspis, aspidis (“asp, viper”), from Ancient Greek ἀσπίς (aspís, “shield; Egyptian cobra Naja haje”); compare Middle English aspide.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →asp · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*Hosp-
- Proto-Germanic*aspō
- Proto-West Germanic*aspu
- Old Englishæspe
- Middle Englishaspe
- Englishasp
From Middle English aspe (aspen (in compounds)), from Old English æspe (æspan (in compounds)), from Proto-West Germanic *aspu, from Proto-Germanic *aspō, from Proto-Indo-European *Hosp-. See also Dutch esp, German Espe, Swedish and Norwegian Bokmål asp, Norwegian Nynorsk osp; also Welsh aethnen, Latin abiēs (“fir”), Latvian apse, Polish osa, Old Armenian ոփի (opʻi, “poplar”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian аспида, каменарка
- аспида (aspida)Vipera aspis
- каменарка (kamenarka)Vipera aspis
- распер (rasper)fish Aspius aspius
Catalan escurçó pirinenc
- escurçó pirinencVipera aspis
Czech zmije skvrnitá, bolen dravý
- zmije skvrnitáVipera aspis
- bolen dravýfish Aspius aspius
Danish asp
- aspfish Aspius aspius
Dutch aspisadder, roofblei
- aspisadderVipera aspis
- roofbleifish Aspius aspius
Finnish aspiskyy, toutain
- aspiskyyVipera aspis
- toutainfish Aspius aspius
French aspic, aspe
- aspicVipera aspis
- aspefish Aspius aspius
German Aspisviper, Rapfen
- AspisviperVipera aspis
- Rapfenfish Aspius aspius
- Schiedfish Aspius aspius
Greek αστρίτης
- αστρίτης (astrítis)Vipera aspis
Hungarian balin, őn
- balinfish Aspius aspius
- őnfish Aspius aspius
- ragadozó őnfish Aspius aspius
Italian aspide, aspio
- aspideVipera aspis
- aspiofish Aspius aspius
Norwegian Bokmål asp
- aspfish Aspius aspius
Polish żmija żebrowana, boleń
- żmija żebrowanaVipera aspis
- boleńfish Aspius aspius
- boleń pospolityfish Aspius aspius
- chwatfish Aspius aspius
- rapfish Aspius aspius
- rapafish Aspius aspius
Portuguese áspide
- áspideVipera aspis
Romanian avat
- avatfish Aspius aspius
Russian а́списовая гадю́ка, же́рех
- а́списовая гадю́ка (áspisovaja gadjúka)Vipera aspis
- же́рех (žérex)fish Aspius aspius
Spanish áspid
- áspidVipera aspis
Swedish aspishuggorm, asp
- aspishuggormVipera aspis
- aspfish Aspius aspius
Turkish sağır yılan
- sağır yılanVipera aspis
Ukrainian біли́зна, же́рех
- біли́зна (bilýzna)fish Aspius aspius
- же́рех (žérex)fish Aspius aspius
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with asp
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
asp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asp
“asp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asp. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “asp,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asp.
Source: asp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.