aspic

English

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aspic

Wikipedia

Etymology

Borrowed from French aspic, from Latin aspis, and possibly influenced by French basilic (“basilisk”). The culinary sense may come from association with the snake due to the traditional colours and cold temperature of aspic, in addition to the fact that the gelatine was often moulded in a shape similar to a coiled snake.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæspɪk/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

aspic (countable and uncountable, plural aspics)

1. A meat or fish jelly
   • 1819, Frederick Nutt, Nutt, F. (1819). The Imperial and Royal Cook. Consisting of the Most Sumptuous Made Dishes ... Including the Latest Improvements in Fashionable Life. 2nd Ed. United Kingdom: Samuel Leigh: Baldwin, Cradock; Joy. - p.265

     “Put a little aspic in the mould, so as to cover the bottom ···“

2. A dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatine, jelly-like substance made from a meat stock or consommé.
   • 1943, Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead, Bobbs-Merrill Company, page 441:

     "I don't know what you mean, Mr. Wynand," whispered Keating. His eyes fixed upon the tomato aspic on his salad plate; it was soft and shivering; it made him sick.

3. (obsolete, poetic) An asp, a small venomous snake of Egypt.
   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     This is an aspic's trail: and these fig-leaves / Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves.

   • 1833, Lord Alfred Tennyson, A Dream of Fair Women:

     (With that she tore her robe apart, and half / The polished argent of her breast to sight / Laid bare. Thereto she pointed with a laugh, / Showing the aspic's bite. )

4. A piece of ordnance carrying a 12-pound shot.

Derived terms

• preserved in aspic

Translations

See also

• brawn
• head cheese
• meat jelly
• preserved in aspic

Adjective

aspic (not comparable)

1. Aspish; relating to an asp, a small venomous snake of Egypt.
   • 1923, Wallace Stevens, “In the Carolinas”, in Harmonium, Faber and Faber, published 2001, →ISBN, page 3:

     Timeless mother, / How is it that your aspic nipples / For once vent honey?

Anagrams

• APICs, CISPA, ISPCA, PICAs, Spica, pacis, picas, scapi, spica

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /as.pik/

Etymology 1

From Latin aspis, and possibly influenced by basilic (“basilisk”). The culinary sense may come from association with the snake due to the traditional colours and cold temperature of aspic, in addition to the fact that the gelatine was often moulded in a shape similar to a coiled snake.

Noun

aspic m (plural aspics)

1. asp (Vipera aspis)
2. asp (Naja haje)
3. slanderer, libeller
4. (cooking) aspic (dish)
5. (slang, dated, rare) miser

Descendants

• → Catalan: aspic
• → Dutch: aspic
• → English: aspic
• → German: Aspik
• → Japanese: アスピック (asupikku)
• → Korean: 아스픽 (aseupik)
• → Spanish: áspic

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Occitan aspic (“ear (of grain), lavender”), from Latin spicum. Doublet of spic.

Noun

aspic m (plural aspics)

1. spike lavender, Lavandula latifolia

Further reading

• “aspic”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French aspic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈspik/
• Rhymes: -ik
• Hyphenation: a‧spìc

Noun

aspic m (invariable)

1. aspic

Anagrams

• Spica, caspi, cispa, pasci, scapi, spica

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French aspic.

Noun

aspic n (plural aspicuri)

1. aspic

Declension