aspersion

aspersion
    n 1: a disparaging remark; "in the 19th century any reference to
         female sexuality was considered a vile aspersion"; "it is
         difficult for a woman to understand a man's sensitivity to
         any slur on his virility" [syn: {aspersion}, {slur}]
    2: an abusive attack on a person's character or good name [syn:
       {aspersion}, {calumny}, {slander}, {defamation},
       {denigration}]
    3: the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare) [syn:
       {aspersion}, {sprinkling}]
    

Aspersion \As*per"sion\, n. [L. aspersio, fr. aspergere: cf. F.
   aspersion.]
   1. A sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense.
      [1913 Webster]

            Behold an immersion, not and aspersion. --Jer.
                                                  Taylor.
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   2. The spreading of calumniations reports or charges which
      tarnish reputation, like the bespattering of a body with
      foul water; calumny.
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            Every candid critic would be ashamed to cast
            wholesale aspersions on the entire body of
            professional teachers.                --Grote.
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            Who would by base aspersions blot thy virtue.
                                                  --Dryden.
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131 Moby Thesaurus words for "aspersion":
      abuse, adverse criticism, affront, affusion, agape, allegation,
      animadversion, aspergation, asperges, atrocity,
      auricular confession, backbiting, bad notices, bad press, baptism,
      baptismal gown, baptismal regeneration, baptistery, baptizement,
      bar mitzvah, bas mitzvah, brickbat, calumny, captiousness, carping,
      cavil, caviling, celebration, censoriousness, chrismal,
      christening, circumcision, confession, confirmation, contempt,
      contumely, criticism, cut, defamation, despite, detraction,
      disparagement, dump, enormity, exception, faultfinding, flak,
      flout, flouting, font, gibe, hairsplitting, high celebration, hit,
      home thrust, hostile criticism, humiliation, hypercriticalness,
      hypercriticism, immersion, imputation, incense, indignity,
      infusion, injury, innuendo, insinuation, insult, invective,
      invocation, invocation of saints, jeer, jeering, kiss of peace,
      knock, lampoon, lesser litany, libel, litany, love feast,
      lustration, mock, mockery, muck, nagging, niggle, niggling, nit,
      nit-picking, obloquy, offense, outrage, overcriticalness,
      pasquinade, pax, personal remark, personality, pestering,
      pettifogging, priggishness, processional, put-down, quibble,
      quibbling, rap, reciting the rosary, reflection, reproachfulness,
      scandal, scoff, scurrility, skit, slam, slander, slur,
      sly suggestion, sprinkling, squib, stricture, suggestion, swipe,
      taking exception, taunt, telling of beads, the confessional,
      the confessionary, total immersion, trichoschistism,
      uncomplimentary remark, vituperation, whispering campaign