ass – English noun declension

English noun forms of ass

Noun: ass
Singularass
Pluralasses

Sample 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. [1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 16:20:]
  • 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. [1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Same [i.e., the Blacknesse of Negroes]”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 6th book, page 282:]
  • […] 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. [1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 51:]
  • Pliny the Elder states that, to increase sexual potency, the right testis of an ass should be worn in a bracelet. [1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 49:]
  • In this section "animal" means any horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog. [1972, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Part I, section 20(3)”, in Road Traffic Act 1972, page 14:]
  • Near-synonyms: fool, idiot, jerk, asswipe; see also Thesaurus:jerk
  • That new kid left the cap off the syrup bottle again! What an ass.
  • He is such an ass for leaving the house door open.
  • Oh Vengeance! / Who? What an Aſſe am I? [c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 264:]
  • I had sprung to my feet. I was speaking, and yet I had prepared no words. Tarp Henry, my companion, was plucking at my skirts and I heard him whispering, "Sit down, Malone! Don't make a public ass of yourself." [1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:]
  • Sometimes by way of joke, and sometimes by way of irritation, compositors are called Asses by the pressmen. [[1841, William Savage, Dictionary of the Art of Printing, page 24:]

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”)). See: Middle English Nouns 'asse', Old English Nouns 'assa', Latin Nouns 'asinus', Old English Nouns 'esol', Latin Nouns 'asinus'.

Verbs referencing "ass"

Swedish Nouns arsel, English Nouns assinico.