aspect

plural aspects

1. Any specific feature, part, or element of something.

   Japan's aging population is an important aspect of its economy.

   Synonyms: component, facet, feature

2. The way something appears when viewed from a certain direction or perspective.

   The stone has a greenish aspect in this light.

   1 more example

   Given the limitations of planar representation[…] The painter is constantly forced to choose one aspect over the other.

   1991, William Dunning, Changing Images of Pictorial Space: A History of Spatial Illusion in Painting, page 36

   Synonyms: hue

3. The way something appears when considered from a certain point of view.

   in certain aspects [ = in certain respects]

   1 more example

   “Perspective” can be understood in different ways. It can mean a single aspect from which something is considered or evaluated; it can also mean a view from a relation between aspects of a subject.

   2016, Chenyang Li, “Care and justice: Reading Mencius, Kant, and Gilligan comparatively”, in Ann A. Pang-White, editor, The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Chinese Philosophy and Gender, page 128

   Synonyms: respect, front

4. A phase or a partial, but significant view or description of something.
5. One's appearance or expression.First known use 16th c.

   It is Stephen Gardiner, black and scowling, his aspect in no way improved by his trip to Rome.

   2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate 2010, page 145

   3 more examples

   Art thou but Captaine of a thouſand horſe, That by Characters grauen in thy browes, And by thy martiall face and ſtout aſpect, Deſeru’ſt to haue the leading of an hoſte?

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii

   In Knots they ſtand, or in a Rank they Walk, / Serious in Aſpect, earneſt in their Talk: […]

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, book III, page 66

   By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.

   1921, Ben Travers, chapter 4, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC

   Synonyms: appearance, look, blee

6. Position or situation with regard to seeing; that position which enables one to look in a particular direction; position in relation to the points of the compass.

   The house has a southern aspect, i.e. a position which faces the south.

7. Prospect; outlook.

   This town affords a good aspect toward the hill from whence we descended ; nor does it deceive us ; for it is handsomely built […]

   1643 December 7 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for November 1643]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC

8. grammarA grammatical quality of a verb which determines the relationship of the speaker to the internal temporal flow of the event which the verb describes, or whether the speaker views the event from outside as a whole, or from within as it is unfolding.First known use 19th c.
9. astrologyThe relative position of heavenly bodies as they appear to an observer on earth; the angular relationship between points in a horoscope.First known use 14th c.

   I want to collect birthdates for a number of gay people, draw up astrological charts and compare them, looking for special aspects. I will send you your own chart if you send your time of birth, year, month, day, hour and place of birth.

   1977 February 5, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 32, page 14

   2 more examples

   […] To the blanc moon / Her office they prescribed; to the other five / Their planetary motions, and aspects, / In sextile, square, and trine, and opposite, / Of noxious efficacy, and when to join / In synod unbenign; and taught the fix'd / their influence malignant when to shower, / Which of them rising with the sun, or falling / Should prove tempestuous: […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 656-664

   Kepler (the Lyncæus of the laſt Age) defines an Aſpect in this manner: Aſpectus eſt Angulus à Radiis Luminoſis binorum Planetarum in terra formatus, efficax ad ſtimulandum naturam ſublunarem. It is (ſaith he) an Angle made in the Earth by the Luminous Beams of two Planets, of ſtrength to ſtir up the vertue of all ſublunary things.

   1683, George Wharton, “Of the Planetary Aspects, both Old and New, their Characters, and Æquations”, in John Gadbury, editor, The Works of that Late Most Excellent Philosopher and Astronomer, Sir George Wharton, Bar[onet]. Collected into One Entire Volume, London: Printed by H. H. for John Leigh, at Stationers Hall, →OCLC, page 90

10. human sciencesThe personified manifestation of a deity that represents one or more of its characteristics or functions.

    The Mother Goddess in her many manifestations is termed Shakti, the female energy in creation, and worshipped as the supreme female aspect of Brahman.

    1995, V.P. Kanitkar, W. Owen Cole, Hinduism — An Introduction

11. obsoleteThe act of looking at something; gaze.First known use 14th–19th c.

    […] his aspect was bent on the ground with an appearance of deep dejection, which might be almost construed into apathy, […]

    1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter I, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC

    1 more example

    The tradition is no less ancient, that the basilisk killeth by aspect ; and that the wolf, if he see a man first, by aspect striketh a man hoarse.

    1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 924

12. obsoleteAppearance to the eye or the mind; look; view.

    Three days later he opened the parliament. The aspect of affairs was, on the whole, cheering.

    1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XVIII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume IV, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

    1 more example

    1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth Vol 1, Chapter IX. They are both in my judgment the image or picture of a great Ruine, and have the true aspect of a World lying in its rubbish.

13. computingIn aspect-oriented programming, a feature or component that can be applied to parts of a program independent of any inheritance hierarchy.
14. rail transportThe visual indication of railway signal as displayed to the driver. With three-aspect colour light signals this would be red, yellow or green, and on four-aspect signals, double-yellow also; a two-aspect signal displays red or green.

    The whole of the main lines to be electrified were being equipped with four-aspect colour-light signals, automatically operated, where appropriate, and spaced to give a 5min headway throughout.

    1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719

    2 more examples

    It was in this work [on the Southern Railway] that the four-aspect system of indications, using red, yellow, double yellow, and green, was first installed. […][page 229, photo caption] Three-aspect colour-light signal with three-way junction indicator, Bow Junction, Eastern Region

    1951 April, T. S. Lascelles, “British Railway Signalling since 1925”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 228

    SWR [South Western Railway] said the move was a precautionary measure, understood to relate to electromagnetic emissions from the fleet causing changes of signal aspect in front of moving trains.

    2019 October, “'442s' withdrawn due to signal interaction issues”, in Modern Railways, page 87

present singular third person aspects · participle present aspecting · participle past aspected · past aspected

1. astrologyTo have a particular aspect or type of aspect.
2. WiccaTo channel a divine being.
3. obsoleteTo look at.