Illustration of aspergillum
aspergillum
noun
as·per·gil·lum
ˌa-spər-ˈji-ləm 
plural aspergilla
ˌa-spər-ˈji-lə
or aspergillums
or aspergillums
: a brush or small perforated container with a handle that is used for sprinkling holy water in a liturgical service
Examples of aspergillum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Father David Askoak takes an aspergillum — a brush used for holy water — dips it into one of the containers and sprinkles the crowd with the water.
—
Anchorage Daily News, 13 May 2023
Harvard University researchers hoping to build stronger and lighter structures looked for inspiration in the deep-water sponge Euplectella aspergillum, whose tubelike skeleton forms a square grid with diagonal reinforcements.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anchorage Daily News, 13 May 2023
Harvard University researchers hoping to build stronger and lighter structures looked for inspiration in the deep-water sponge Euplectella aspergillum, whose tubelike skeleton forms a square grid with diagonal reinforcements.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near aspergillum
Cite this Entry
“Aspergillum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspergillum. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share