equus asinus

Equus asinus
    n 1: a wild ass of Africa [syn: {African wild ass}, {Equus
         asinus}]
    2: domestic beast of burden descended from the African wild ass;
       patient but stubborn [syn: {domestic ass}, {donkey}, {Equus
       asinus}]
    

Ass \Ass\, n. [OE. asse, AS. assa; akin to Icel. asni, W. asen,
   asyn, L. asinus, dim. aselus, Gr. ?; also to AS. esol, OHG.
   esil, G. esel, Goth. asilus, Dan. [ae]sel, Lith. asilas,
   Bohem. osel, Pol. osiel. The word is prob. of Semitic origin;
   cf. Heb. ath?n she ass. Cf. {Ease}.]
   1. (Zool.) A quadruped of the genus {Equus} ({Equus asinus}),
      smaller than the horse, and having a peculiarly harsh bray
      and long ears. The tame or domestic ass is patient, slow,
      and sure-footed, and has become the type of obstinacy and
      stupidity. There are several species of wild asses which
      are swift-footed.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A dull, heavy, stupid fellow; a dolt. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Asses' Bridge}. [L. pons asinorum.] The fifth proposition of
      the first book of Euclid, "The angles at the base of an
      isosceles triangle are equal to one another." [Sportive]
      "A schoolboy, stammering out his Asses' Bridge." --F.
      Harrison.

   {To make an ass of one's self}, to do or say something very
      foolish or absurd.
      [1913 Webster]