asperity

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The Word of the Day for June 12 is:

asperity   \uh-SPEH-ruh-tee\   noun 
     1 : rigor, severity
     2 a : roughness of surface : unevenness; also : a tiny 
projection from a surface  b : roughness of sound
    *3 : roughness of manner or of temper : harshness

Example sentence:
     When asked to make a contribution, Roger glared and said 
with asperity, "I gave at the office."

Did you know? 
     "Asperity" has had a rough history. It came to us through 
Middle English by way of the Anglo-French word "asprete," and 
ultimately derives from the Latin word "asper," which 
means "rough." This same Latin word also underlies the English 
word "exasperate" (in fact, you can see "asper" nestled in the 
midst of that word). "Asper" also did a stint as an English word 
in its own right (it functioned as a synonym 
of "harsh," "bitter," or "stern"), but it is now considered 
obsolete.