# aspic

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæspɪk/ · frequency rank #85,003

## Definitions
1. A meat or fish jelly.
2. A dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatine, jelly-like substance made from a meat stock or consommé.
3. An asp, a small venomous snake of Egypt.
4. A light cannon firing a two-pound ball.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French aspic, from Latin aspis, and possibly influenced by French basilic (“basilisk”). The culinary sense may come from association with the snake due to the traditional colors and cold temperature of aspic, in addition to the fact that the gelatin was often molded in a shape similar to a coiled snake.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/aspic