Jump to content

aslope

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]
WOTD – 11 December 2025

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English aslop, aslope (“at an angle or slant; aside”);[1] further etymology uncertain, probably either:[2]

The adverb is more common than the adjective.[2]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

aslope (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) Slanted, sloping.
    Synonyms: aslant, diagonal, inclined, oblique
    • [1716], [John] Gay, “Book II. Of Walking the Streets by Day.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 27:
      VVhere Porters Hogſheads roll from Carts aſlope, / Or Brevvers dovvn ſteep Cellars ſtretch the Rope, / VVhere counted Billets are by Carmen toſt; / Stay thy raſh Steps, and vvalk vvithout the Poſt.
    • 1830, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “[Sibylline Leaves.] Love, Hope, and Patience in Education.”, in The Poetical and Dramatic Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge […], volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., published 1880, →OCLC, page 334:
      [S]o / Do these upbear the little world below / Of Education,—Patience, Love, and Hope. / Methinks, I see them group'd in seemly show, / The straiten'd arms upraised, the palms aslope, / And robes that touching as adown they flow, / Distinctly blend, like snow emboss'd in snow.
    • 1860, John Ruskin, “The Task of the Least”, in Modern Painters […], volume V, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, part VIII (Of Ideas of Relation:—I. Of Invention Formal.), § 4, page 170:
      The steps of the cottage door […] are now all aslope and broken, not repaired for years.
    • 1911 March 25, G[ilbert] K[eith] Chesterton, “The Honour of Israel Gow”, in The Innocence of Father Brown, London; New York, N.Y.: Cassell and Company, published 1911, →OCLC, page 160:
      Far as the eye could see, farther and farther as they mounted the slope, were seas beyond seas of pines, now all aslope one way under the wind.

Translations

[edit]

Adverb

[edit]

aslope (not comparable) (archaic)

  1. Sloping, in a sloping manner; slanted along a slope.
    Synonyms: aslant, aslantwise, athwart, diagonally, obliquely
    • 1516, Robert Fabyan, “Godfrey de la Conduyt”, in Fabyans Cronycle Newly Prynted, wyth the Cronycle, Actes, and Dedes Done in the Tyme of the Reygne of the Moste Excellent Prynce Kynge Henry the VII. […], volume II, London: […] Wyllyam Rastell, published 10 January 1534 (Gregorian calendar), →OCLC, part 7, folio lxx, verso:
      But the Flemynges with theyr arbalasters and theyr longe mareys pykes set aslope before them / wounded so theyr horses, that they lay tumbelynge one in the others necke / so that they were the letters[sic – meaning fetters?] of the other whiche were on fote, that they myght not exercyse theyr feat of armes.
    • 1575, George Turberuile [i.e.. George Turberville], “The Way and Manner, Howe to Ympe a Hawkes Feather, Howsoeuer It be Broken or Broosed”, in The Booke of Faulconrie or Hauking, for the Onely Delight and Plerasure of All Noblemen and Gentlemen: […], London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC, page 277:
      If a ſarcell, or other feathers be broken aboue the quyll, towards the poynt of yͤ fethers twoo or three fingers bredth, you muſt cut it off with a ſharpe penknife, aſlope, and (as they ſay) a ſwaſhe, ⁊ then take another feather to the ſame, cutting it in like manner, as you did the other, ſo as it may fitte with yͤ ſame feather, both for length and cutte.
    • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “VIII. Century. [Experiments in Consort, Touching the Impressions, which the Passions of the Minde Make vpon the Body.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 713, page 184:
      Feare cauſeth Paleneſſe; Trembling; The Standing of the Haire vpright; Starting; and Skritching. […] Standing Vpright of the Haire is cauſed, for that by the Shutting of the Pores of the Skin, the Haire that lyeth aſloape, muſt needs Riſe.
    • 1674, [Charles Cotton], “Of a Game at Chess”, in The Compleat Gamester: Or, Instructions How to Play at Billiards, Trucks, Bowls, and Chess. […], London: […] A. M. for R. Cutler, and to be sold by Henry Brome […], →OCLC, page 55:
      The Biſhop vvalks alvvays in the same colour of the field that he is firſt placed in, forvvard and backvvard aſloap every vvay as far as he liſts; provided, that the vvay be clear betvveen him and the place he intends to go to: […]
    • 1710 October (date written), [Jonathan Swift], “A Description of a City Shower. […]”, in Miscellanies in Prose and Verse, volume I, London: […] John Morphew […], published 1711, →OCLC, page 407:
      Mean vvhile the South riſing vvith dabbled VVings, / A Sable Cloud a-thavvrt the VVelkin flings, / That ſvvill'd more Liquor than it could contain, / And like a Drunkard gives it up again. / Briſk Suſan vvhips her Linen from the Rope, / VVhile the firſt drizzling Shovv’r is born aſlope, […]
    • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Chase—Second Day”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 617:
      While the two crews were yet circling in the waters, […] while aslope little Flask bobbed up and down like an empty vial, twitching his legs upward to escape the dreaded jaws of sharks; […] —Ahab's yet unstricken boat seemed drawn up towards Heaven by invisible wires,— […]
  2. (figurative)
    1. Indirectly, obliquely.
      • 1569, Richard Grafton, “Edwarde the Fift”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 786:
        [N]euertheleſſe he would that point ſhould be leſſe and more finely and cloſely handled, not euen fully playne and directly, but touched a ſlope craftily, as though men ſpared in that point to ſpeake al the truth for feare of his diſpleaſure.
    2. In an unfavourable or unintended direction.
      Synonym: off course

Derived terms

[edit]
  • slope (adjective, adverb, noun)

Translations

[edit]

Preposition

[edit]

aslope

  1. (archaic) Diagonally across or over; aslant.
    Synonym: athwart
    • 1616 November 14 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [Thomas Middleton], “Prince Charles His Creation”, in Civitatis Amor. The Cities Loue. An Entertainement by Water, at Chelsey, and White-hall. […], London: […] Nicholas Okes for Thomas Archer, […], published 1616, →OCLC, signatures C2, verso – C3, recto:
      [T]he King, […] puts the Belt ouer the necke of the Knight, aſlope his breaſt, placing the Svvord vnder his left Arme: […]
    • 1899, Madison Cawein, “[Visions and Voices] The Last Song”, in Myth and Romance: Being a Book of Verses, New York, N.Y.; London: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons […], →OCLC, pages 29–30:
      A lute, aslope / The curious baldric of his tunic, glints / With pearl-reflections of the moon, that seem / The silent ghosts of long-dead melodies.

Translations

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ “aslōp(e, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 “aslope, adj. and adv.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2025; “aslope, adj. and adv.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ Joseph Bosworth (1882), “a-slúpan”, in T[homas] Northcote Toller, editor, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 54, column 1.
  4. ^ Joseph Bosworth (1882), “a”, in T[homas] Northcote Toller, editor, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1, column 2.
  5. ^ Joseph Bosworth (1882), “slúpan”, in T[homas] Northcote Toller, editor, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 886, column 1.
  6. ^ “a-, pref.(2)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Anagrams

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=aslope&oldid=88544248"