aspergillum. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

aspergillum

SYLLABICATION:	as·per·gil·lum
PRONUNCIATION:	spr-jlm
VARIANT FORMS:	or as·per·gill (-jl)
NOUN:	Inflected forms: pl. as·per·gil·la (-jl) or as·per·gil·lums Roman Catholic Church An instrument, such as a brush or a perforated container, used for sprinkling holy water.
ETYMOLOGY:	New Latin, from Latin aspergere, to sprinkle. See asperse.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.