a. [ Cf. F. aspirant, p. pr. of aspirer. See Aspire. ] Aspiring. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. aspirant. ] One who aspires; one who eagerly seeks some high position or object of attainment. [ 1913 Webster ]

In consequence of the resignations . . . the way to greatness was left clear to a new set of aspirants. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Aspirated p. pr. & vb. n. Aspirating ] [ L. aspiratus, p. p. of aspirare to breathe toward or upon, to add the breathing h; ad + spirare to breathe, blow. Cf. Aspire. ] To pronounce with a breathing, an aspirate, or an h sound; as, we aspirate the words horse and house; to aspirate a vowel or a liquid consonant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A sound consisting of, or characterized by, a breath like the sound of h; the breathing h or a character representing such a sound; an aspirated sound. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mark of aspiration (&asper_;) used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An elementary sound produced by the breath alone; a surd, or nonvocal consonant; as, f, th in thin, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. aspiratus, p. p. ] Pronounced with the h sound or with audible breath. [ 1913 Webster ]

But yet they are not aspirate, i. e., with such an aspiration as h. Holder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aspiratio, fr. aspirare: cf. F. aspiration. ] 1. The act of aspirating; the pronunciation of a letter with a full or strong emission of breath; an aspirated sound. [ 1913 Webster ]

If aspiration be defined to be an impetus of breathing. Wilkins. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of breathing; a breath; an inspiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act of aspiring of a ardently desiring; strong wish; high desire. “Aspirations after virtue.” Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vague aspiration after military renown. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Chem.) An apparatus for passing air or gases through or over certain liquids or solids, or for exhausting a closed vessel, by means of suction. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) An instrument for the evacuation of the fluid contents of tumors or collections of blood. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to breathing; suited to the inhaling of air [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Aspired p. pr. & vb. n. Aspiring. ] [ F. aspirer, L. aspirare. See Aspirate, v. t. ] 1. To desire with eagerness; to seek to attain something high or great; to pant; to long; -- followed by to or after, and rarely by at; as, to aspire to a crown; to aspire after immorality. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell;
Aspiring to be angels, men rebel. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To rise; to ascend; to tower; to soar. [ 1913 Webster ]

My own breath still foments the fire,
Which flames as high as fancy can aspire. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To aspire to; to long for; to try to reach; to mount to. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Aspiration. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Aspiration. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who aspires. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Pharm.) A white crystalline compound, acetyl salicylic acid (CH3.CO.O.C6H4.CO.OH) widely used as a drug for relief of pain and alleviation of fever. It has analgesic, antipyretic, and antiinflammatory properties, and is one of a class of agents called non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The name was originally a trade name, but has become the preferred name for the substance. It is actually a prodrug, liberating salicylic acid, the ultimate pharmacologically active agent, in the intestines. It is more effective when taken orally than is salicylic acid, because it dissolves more readily.
Syn. -- 2-(acetyloxy)benzoic acid [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

a. That aspires; as, an Aspiring mind. -- As*pir"ing*ly, adv. -- As*pir"ing*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]