ass
/ɑːs/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.00 in modern English
3
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
2
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of several species of horse-like animals, especially Equus asinus, the domesticated of which are used as beasts of burden.
noun
A stupid or inconsiderate person.
noun
Sex; a person to have sex with; with vulgar emphasis on their corporeality (their body) over their personhood.
American usage; Slang; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "And Iesse tooke an asse laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by Dauid his sonne vnto Saul."
- "Thus the Aſſe having a peculiar mark of a croſſe made by a black liſt down his back, and another athwart, or at right angles down his ſhoulders; common opinion aſcribes this figure unto a peculiar ſignation; ſince that beaſt had the honour to bear our Saviour on his back."
- "[…] suddenly a man, in foreign garments: wonderfully real and distinct to look at: stood outside the window, with an axe stuck in his belt, and leading an ass laden with wood by the bridle."
- "Pliny the Elder states that, to increase sexual potency, the right testis of an ass should be worn in a bracelet."
- "In this section "animal" means any horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog."
- "Near-synonyms: fool, idiot, jerk, asswipe; see also Thesaurus:jerk"
Etymology
From Middle English asse, from Old English assa, back-formed from assen (“she-ass”), from Celtic (compare Old Irish asan, Old Cornish asen), from Latin asinus. Displaced Old English esol, from Proto-West Germanic *asil, also a loanword from the same Latin word. Sense “stupid person” from the animal's reputation for stubbornness, going back to antiquity (compare Latin asinus (“slow-witted person”)).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɑːs/
- British English: /ɑːs/