*asc*

a. Pertaining to the time before the Passover, or before Easter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. anti- + pasch. ] (Eccl.) The Sunday after Easter; Low Sunday. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Acronym: American Society of Cinematographers. ] 1. the American Society of Cinematographers. Syn. -- American Society of Cinematographers, A. S. C. [ PJC ]

n. [ Acronym: American Society of Composers, Authors and Puplishers. ] 1. the American Society of Cinematographers. Syn. -- American Society of Composers, Authors and Puplishers [ PJC ]

n. 1. 1 a natural family containing only one species of frog: the tailed frog.
Syn. -- family Ascaphidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 the type genus of the Ascaphidae; in some classifications included in the family Leiopelmatidae.
Syn. -- genus Ascaphus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; an intestinal worm. ] (Med.) A disease, usually accompanied by colicky pains and diarrhea, caused by the presence of ascarids in the gastrointestinal canal. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n.; pl. Ascarides r Ascarids. [ NL. ascaris, fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] (Zool.) A parasitic nematoid worm, especially the roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, often occurring in the human intestine, and allied species found in domestic animals; also commonly applied to the pinworm (Oxyuris), often troublesome to children and aged persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a natural family of large roundworms parasitic in intestines of vertebrates.
Syn. -- family Ascaridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a roundworm having a preanal sucker.
Syn. -- genus Ascaridia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 the type genus of the family Ascaridae: roundworms with a three-lipped mouth.
Syn. -- genus Ascaris. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Ascended; p. pr. & vb. n. Ascending. ] [ L. ascendere; ad + scandere to climb, mount. See Scan. ] 1. To move upward; to mount; to go up; to rise; -- opposed to descend. [ 1913 Webster ]

Higher yet that star ascends. Bowring. [ 1913 Webster ]

I ascend unto my father and your father. John xx. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

Formerly used with up. [ 1913 Webster ]

The smoke of it ascended up to heaven. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To rise, in a figurative sense; to proceed from an inferior to a superior degree, from mean to noble objects, from particulars to generals, from modern to ancient times, from one note to another more acute, etc.; as, our inquiries ascend to the remotest antiquity; to ascend to our first progenitor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To rise; mount; climb; scale; soar; tower. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To go or move upward upon or along; to climb; to mount; to go up the top of; as, to ascend a hill, a ladder, a tree, a river, a throne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being ascended. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. Same as Ascendency. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ascendant, L. ascendens; p. pr. of ascendere. ] 1. Ascent; height; elevation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Sciences that were then in their highest ascendant. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astrol.) The horoscope, or that degree of the ecliptic which rises above the horizon at the moment of one's birth; supposed to have a commanding influence on a person's life and fortune. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Hence the phrases
To be in the ascendant, to have commanding power or influence, and
Lord of the ascendant, one who has possession of such power or influence; as, to rule, for a while, lord of the ascendant. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Superiority, or commanding influence; ascendency; as, one man has the ascendant over another. [ 1913 Webster ]

Chievres had acquired over the mind of the young monarch the ascendant not only of a tutor, but of a parent. Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An ancestor, or one who precedes in genealogy or degrees of kindred; a relative in the ascending line; a progenitor; -- opposed to descendant. Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Governing or controlling influence; the state that exists when one person or group has power over another; domination; power. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

An undisputed ascendency. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Custom has an ascendency over the understanding. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Control; authority; influence; sway; dominion; prevalence; domination; dominance; ascendance; ascendence. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. 1. Rising toward the zenith; above the horizon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The constellation . . . about that time ascendant. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Rising; ascending. Ruskin. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Superior; surpassing; ruling. [ 1913 Webster ]

An ascendant spirit over him. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ascendant community obtained a surplus of wealth. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

Without some power of persuading or confuting, of defending himself against accusations, . . . no man could possibly hold an ascendent position. Grote. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. tending or directed upward.
Syn. -- ascendant, ascensive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

rooted and ascendant strength like that of foliage. John Ruskin [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. having the most important influence.
Syn. -- ascendant, dominating, prestigious. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. position or state of being dominant or in control. that idea was in the ascendant.
Syn. -- ascendant. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote that a grandparent).
Syn. -- ancestor, ascendant, antecedent. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. ascendibilis. ] Capable of being ascended; climbable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Rising; moving upward; as, an ascending kite. -- As*cend"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

Ascending latitude (Astron.), the increasing latitude of a planet. Ferguson. --
Ascending line (Geneol.), the line of relationship traced backward or through one's ancestors. One's father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, etc., are in the line direct ascending. --
Ascending node having, that node of the moon or a planet wherein it passes the ecliptic to proceed northward. It is also called the northern node. Herschel. --
Ascending series. (Math.) (a) A series arranged according to the ascending powers of a quantity. (b) A series in which each term is greater than the preceding. --
Ascending signs, signs east of the meridian. [1913 Webster]

n. [ F. ascension, L. ascensio, fr. ascendere. See Ascend. ] 1. The act of ascending; a rising; ascent. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: The visible ascent of our Savior on the fortieth day after his resurrection. (Acts i. 9.) Also, Ascension Day. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An ascending or arising, as in distillation; also that which arises, as from distillation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vaporous ascensions from the stomach. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ascension Day, the Thursday but one before Whitsuntide, the day on which commemorated our Savior's ascension into heaven after his resurrection; -- called also Holy Thursday. --
Right ascension (Astron.), that degree of the equinoctial, counted from the beginning of Aries, which rises with a star, or other celestial body, in a right sphere; or the arc of the equator intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator that comes to the meridian with the star; -- expressed either in degrees or in time. --
Oblique ascension (Astron.), an arc of the equator, intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator which rises together with a star, in an oblique sphere; or the arc of the equator intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator that comes to the horizon with a star. It is little used in modern astronomy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to ascension; connected with ascent; ascensive; tending upward; as, the ascensional power of a balloon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ascensional difference (Astron.), the difference between oblique and right ascension; -- used chiefly as expressing the difference between the time of the rising or setting of a body and six o'clock, or six hours from its meridian passage. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Ascend. ] 1. Rising; tending to rise, or causing to rise. Owen. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Augmentative; intensive. Ellicott. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Formed like descent, as if from a F. ascente, fr. a verb ascendre, fr. L. ascendere. See Ascend, Descent. ] 1. The act of rising; motion upward; rise; a mounting upward; as, he made a tedious ascent; the ascent of vapors from the earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

To him with swift ascent he up returned. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The way or means by which one ascends. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An eminence, hill, or high place. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The degree of elevation of an object, or the angle it makes with a horizontal line; inclination; rising grade; as, a road has an ascent of five degrees. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ascertained p. pr. & vb. n. Ascertaining. ] [ OF. acertener; a (L. ad) + certain. See Certain. ] 1. To render (a person) certain; to cause to feel certain; to make confident; to assure; to apprise. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When the blessed Virgin was so ascertained. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Muncer assured them that the design was approved of by Heaven, and that the Almighty had in a dream ascertained him of its effects. Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make (a thing) certain to the mind; to free from obscurity, doubt, or change; to make sure of; to fix; to determine. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The divine law . . . ascertaineth the truth. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

The very deferring [ of his execution ] shall increase and ascertain the condemnation. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ministry, in order to ascertain a majority . . . persuaded the queen to create twelve new peers. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mildness and precision of their laws ascertained the rule and measure of taxation. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To find out or learn for a certainty, by trial, examination, or experiment; to get to know; as, to ascertain the weight of a commodity, or the purity of a metal. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was there only for the purpose of ascertaining whether a descent on England was practicable. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be ascertained. -- As`cer*tain"a*ble*ness, n. -- As`cer*tain"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who ascertains. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of ascertaining; a reducing to certainty; a finding out by investigation; discovery. [ 1913 Webster ]

The positive ascertainment of its limits. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a. See Acescency, Acescent. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to exercise, to practice gymnastics. ] Extremely rigid in self-denial and devotions; austere; severe. [ 1913 Webster ]

The stern ascetic rigor of the Temple discipline. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. In the early church, one who devoted himself to a solitary and contemplative life, characterized by devotion, extreme self-denial, and self-mortification; a hermit; a recluse; hence, one who practices extreme rigor and self-denial in religious things. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am far from commending those ascetics that take up their quarters in deserts. Norris. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ascetic theology, the science which treats of the practice of the theological and moral virtues, and the counsels of perfection. Am. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic ascetical practices
Syn. -- ascetic [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. practicing great self-denial.
Syn. -- ascetic, austere, spartan [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Be systematically ascetic . . . do . . . something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it. William James. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The condition, practice, or mode of life, of ascetics. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Roger Ascham, who was a great lover of archery. ] A sort of cupboard, or case, to contain bows and other implements of archery. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n. pl. See Ascus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One of the Ascii. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. pl. [ L. ascii, pl. of ascius, Gr. &unr_; without shadow; 'a priv. + &unr_; shadow. ] Persons who, at certain times of the year, have no shadow at noon; -- applied to the inhabitants of the torrid zone, who have, twice a year, a vertical sun. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; bladder, pouch. ] (Zool.) One of the Ascidioidea, or in a more general sense, one of the Tunicata. Also as an adj. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See Ascidium. ] (Zool.) The structure which unites together the ascidiozooids in a compound ascidian. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; a pouch + -form. ] (Zool.) Shaped like an ascidian. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. ascidium + -oid. See Ascidium. ] (Zool.) A group of Tunicata, often shaped like a two-necked bottle. The group includes, social, and compound species. The gill is a netlike structure within the oral aperture. The integument is usually leathery in texture. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ascidium + zooid. ] (Zool.) One of the individual members of a compound ascidian. See Ascidioidea. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Ascidia [ NL., fr. ascus. See Ascus. ] 1. (Bot.) A pitcher-shaped, or flask-shaped, organ or appendage of a plant, as the leaves of the pitcher plant, or the little bladderlike traps of the bladderwort (Utricularia). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (Zool.) A genus of simple ascidians, which formerly included most of the known species. It is sometimes used as a name for the Ascidioidea, or for all the Tunicata. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Ascus + -gerous. ] (Bot.) Having asci. Loudon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Acronym: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ](Computers) 1. the American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a code consisting of a set of 128 7-bit combinations used in digital computers internally, for display purposes, and for exchanging data between computers. It is very widely used, but because of the limited number of characters encoded must be supplemented or replaced by other codes for encoding special symbols or words in languages other than English. Also used attributively; -- as, an ASCII file. Syn. -- American Standard Code for Information Interchange. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_; (sc. &unr_; disease), fr. &unr_; bladder, belly. ] (Med.) A collection of serous fluid in the cavity of the abdomen; dropsy of the peritoneum. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]