Definition of "aspect"

aspect

/ˈæspɛkt/

noun
plural aspects
1. Any specific feature, part, or element of something.
2. The way something appears when viewed from a certain direction or perspective.
  Quotations
  Given the limitations of planar representation […] The painter is constantly forced to choose one aspect over the other.
  1991, William Dunning, Changing Images of Pictorial Space: A History of Spatial Illusion in Painting‎, page 36
3. The way something appears when considered from a certain point of view.
  Quotations
  “Perspective” can be understood in different ways. It can mean a single aspect from which something is considered or evaluated; it can also mean a view from a relation between aspects of a subject.
  2016, Chenyang Li, “Care and justice: Reading Mencius, Kant, and Gilligan comparatively”, in Ann A. Pang-White, editor, The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Chinese Philosophy and Gender‎, page 128
4. A phase or a partial, but significant view or description of something.
5. One's appearance or expression.
  Quotations
  Art thou but Captaine of a thouſand horſe,That by Characters grauen in thy browes,And by thy martiall face and ſtout aſpect,Deſeru’ſt to haue the leading of an hoſte?
  c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, (please specify the page)
  In Knots they ſtand, or in a Rank they Walk, / Serious in Aſpect, earneſt in their Talk: […]
  1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], book III, page 66
  By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.
  1922, Ben Travers, chapter 4, in A Cuckoo in the Nest
  It is Stephen Gardiner, black and scowling, his aspect in no way improved by his trip to Rome.
  2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate 2010, page 145
6. Position or situation with regard to seeing; that position which enables one to look in a particular direction; position in relation to the points of the compass.
7. Prospect; outlook.
  Quotations
  This town affords a good aspect toward the hill from whence we descended ; nor does it deceive us ; for it is handsomely built […]
  1643 November 11 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819
8. (grammar) A grammatical quality of a verb which determines the relationship of the speaker to the internal temporal flow of the event which the verb describes, or whether the speaker views the event from outside as a whole, or from within as it is unfolding.
9. (astrology) The relative position of heavenly bodies as they appear to an observer on earth; the angular relationship between points in a horoscope.
  Quotations
  […] To the blanc moon / Her office they prescribed; to the other five / Their planetary motions, and aspects, / In sextile, square, and trine, and opposite, / Of noxious efficacy, and when to join / In synod unbenign; and taught the fix'd / their influence malignant when to shower, / Which of them rising with the sun, or falling / Should prove tempestuous: […]
  1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 656-664
  Kepler (the Lyncæus of the laſt Age) defines an Aſpect in this manner: Aſpectus eſt Angulus à Radiis Luminoſis binorum Planetarum in terra formatus, efficax ad ſtimulandum naturam ſublunarem. It is (ſaith he) an Angle made in the Earth by the Luminous Beams of two Planets, of ſtrength to ſtir up the vertue of all ſublunary things.
  1683, George Wharton, “Of the Planetary Aspects, both Old and New, their Characters, and Æquations”, in John Gadbury, editor, The Works of that Late Most Excellent Philosopher and Astronomer, Sir George Wharton, Bar[onet]. Collected into One Entire Volume, London: Printed by H. H. for John Leigh, at Stationers Hall, page 90
10. (religion, mythology) The personified manifestation of a deity that represents one or more of its characteristics or functions.
  Quotations
  The Mother Goddess in her many manifestations is termed Shakti, the female energy in creation, and worshipped as the supreme female aspect of Brahman.
  1995, V.P. Kanitkar, W. Owen Cole, Hinduism — An Introduction
11. (obsolete) The act of looking at something; gaze.
  Quotations
  The tradition is no less ancient, that the basilisk killeth by aspect ; and that the wolf, if he see a man first, by aspect striketh a man hoarse.
  1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], paragraph 924
  […] his aspect was bent on the ground with an appearance of deep dejection, which might be almost construed into apathy, […]
  1820, Walter Scott, chapter I, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […]
12. (obsolete) Appearance to the eye or the mind; look; view.
  Quotations
  They are both in my judgment the image or picture of a great Ruine, and have the true aspect of a World lying in its rubbish.
  1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth Vol 1, Chapter IX.
  Three days later he opened the parliament. The aspect of affairs was, on the whole, cheering.
  1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XVIII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume IV, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans
13. (programming) In aspect-oriented programming, a feature or component that can be applied to parts of a program independent of any inheritance hierarchy.
14. (rail transport) The visual indication of a colour light (or mechanical) signal as displayed to the driver. With colour light signals this would be red, yellow or green.
  Quotations
  The whole of the main lines to be electrified were being equipped with four-aspect colour-light signals, automatically operated, where appropriate, and spaced to give a 5min headway throughout.
  1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719
  SWR [South Western Railway] said the move was a precautionary measure, understood to relate to electromagnetic emissions from the fleet causing changes of signal aspect in front of moving trains.
  2019 October, “'442s' withdrawn due to signal interaction issues”, in Modern Railways, page 87
verb
third-person singular simple present aspects, present participle aspecting, simple past and past participle aspected
1. (astrology, of a planet) To have a particular aspect or type of aspect.
2. (Wicca) To channel a divine being.
3. (obsolete) To look at.

Definition of "aspect"

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verb