Rough or irregular spots on a surface; harsh or rough qualities in character, tone, or manner.
From Latin 'asperitas' (roughness), derived from 'asper' (rough). The word evolved to describe both physical roughness and metaphorical harshness in personality or speech.
Geophysicists study asperities on fault lines—the jagged spots where earthquake-causing stress builds up—because understanding these microscopic rough patches helps predict major earthquakes.
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