Asp

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /æsp/

Definitions

1. A venomous snake native to the Nile region, often identified as the Egyptian cobra ; an old-fashioned name used for certain snakes, especially related to the Egyptian asp
2. A poisonous snake found around the Nile, famous in ancient stories ; a historic label once applied to snakes thought to have venomous qualities
3. A serpent species known for its venom in northeastern Africa ; a traditional term for snakes used in historical or literary contexts

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "aspis" named both a venomous snake and a round shield, and English took the snake sense through Latin. The Greek word reached English by way of Latin "aspis" and Middle English "aspide", so the snake's name is an old borrowing rather than a native English word. The English word is easy to confuse with "aspen", the poplar tree. The two are unrelated. "Aspen" comes from Old English "æspe", a native Germanic word for the tree, and its spelling is only close by accident. The snake name, by contrast, came in from classical sources, which is why it sounds so different in its history from the tree. Both words share the spelling "asp-" and nothing else.