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Latinized form of Greek Asklepios, which is of unknown origin. Beekes writes that "The name is typical for Pre-Greek words ...." Originally a Thessalian prince famous as a physician, later regarded as a son of Apollo and god of medicine.

self-assurance (n.)

"feeling of confidence and security as to oneself," 1590s, from self- + assurance.

self-assured (adj.)

"self-confident, feeling confident and assured as to oneself," 1711, from self- + assured.

Asherah (n.)

wooden pillar used as symbol of Canaanite goddess Ashera, 1839, a name of unknown origin.

asterisk (n.)

"figure used in printing and writing to indicate footnote, omission, etc., or to distinguish words or phrases as conjectural," late 14c., asterich, asterisc, from Late Latin asteriscus, from Greek asteriskos "little star," diminutive of aster "star" (from PIE root *ster- (2) "star"). As a verb from 1733.

astronomical (adj.)

1550s, "pertaining to astronomy," from astronomy + -ical. Popular meaning "immense, concerning very large figures" (as sizes and distances in astronomy) is attested from 1899. Astronomical unit (abbreviation A.U.) "mean distance from the Earth to the Sun," used as a unit of measure of distance in space, is from 1909. Related: Astronomically.

ascendance (n.)

1742, from ascend + -ance. According to OED, properly "the act of ascending," but used from the start in English as a synonym of ascendancy.

aseptic (adj.)

"free from the micro-organisms that cause putrefaction or fermentation," 1855, from a- (3) "not" + septic. As a noun, "aseptic substance," from 1884.

raggedy-ass (adj.)

"rambling, straggling, disreputable," by 1930, from raggedy + ass (n.2). Such groups were known as raggle-taggle (adj.) by 1904.

aside (adv.)

c. 1300, "off to one side;" mid-14c., "to or from the side;" late 14c., "away or apart from a normal direction or position, out of the way," from a- (1) "on" + side (n.). Noun sense of "words spoken so as to be (supposed) inaudible" is from 1727. Middle English had asidely "on the side, indirectly" (early 15c.) and asideward "sideways, horizontal" (late 14c.). Used colloquially as a preposition from 1590s.

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