Aspen Meaning
/ˈæspən/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjPertaining to the asp or aspen tree.
adjTremulous, trembling.
Sentence Examples
Mary's parents live in a 8,000 sq ft. mountaintop home in Aspen.
He's trembling like an aspen leaf.
Boldi wanted to stick an aspen stick in Martha's heart.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In autumn, the leaves of the tall ____ tree turned a brilliant golden yellow.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The leaves of the ____ tree turn a beautiful bright gold in the autumn.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English aspen, corresponding to asp + -en.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And then poore Aspen wretch, neglected thou / Bath'd in a cold quicksilver sweat wilt lye / A veryer ghost than I […]."
— a. 1631 (date written), J[ohn] Donne, “The Apparition”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriot, […], published 1633, →OCLC:
"ſtaggering like a quiuering Aſpen leafe,
Fearing the force of Boreas boiſtrous blaſts."
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iv:
"Instead there were the white of aspens, streaks of branch and slender trunk glistening from the green of leaves[…]."
— 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
"The beloved aspen forests that shimmer across mountainsides of the American West could be doomed if emissions of greenhouse gases continue at a high level, scientists warned on Monday. […] The new paper analyzed the drought and heat that killed millions of aspens in Colorado and nearby states a decade ago."
— 2015 March 30, Justin Gillis, “Climate Change Threatens to Kill Off More Aspen Forests by 2050s, Scientists Say”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2020:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In autumn, the leaves of the tall ____ tree turned a brilliant golden yellow.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The leaves of the ____ tree turn a beautiful bright gold in the autumn.