aspect

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A particular look or facial expression; mien: "He was serious of aspect but wholly undistinguished” ( Louis Auchincloss).
2. n. Appearance to the eye, especially from a specific vantage point.
3. n. A way in which something can be viewed by the mind: looked at all aspects of the situation. See Synonyms at phase.
4. n. A position facing or commanding a given direction; exposure.
5. n. A side or surface facing in a particular direction: the ventral aspect of the body.
6. n. The configuration of the stars or planets in relation to one another.
7. n. This configuration, thought by astrologers to influence human affairs.
8. n. Grammar A category of the verb designating primarily the relation of the action to the passage of time, especially in reference to completion, duration, or repetition.
9. n. Archaic An act of looking or gazing.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of seeing, or of looking at anything; view; gaze; glance; look.
2. n. Countenance; look or particular appearance of the face; mien; air: as, a mild or severe aspect.
3. n. Appearance to the eye or mind; look: as, the physical aspect of the country.
4. n. One of the ways in which a thing may be viewed or contemplated: as, to present an object or a subject in its true aspect; in a double aspect; a favorable aspect.
5. n. Practical bearing or reference.
6. n. View commanded; prospect; outlook.
7. n. [Now used in this sense mainly with reference to the points of the compass: as, a house has a southern aspect or exposure.]
8. n. In astrology, the relative positions of the planets as they appear at any given time to an observer upon the earth; the combined look of the heavenly bodies from the earth. The aspects are nine in number: semisextile, a difference of longitude of 30°; semisquare, of 45°; sextile, of 60°; quintile, of 72°; square or quartile, of 90°; trine, of 120°; sesquiquadrate, of 135°; biquintile. of 144°; opposition, of 180°. To these may be added conjunction, which occurs when the planets have the same longitude. Good aspects are the semisextile, sextile, quintile, trine, and biquintile. Bad aspects are the semisquare, square, sesquiquadrate, and opposition. Mundane aspects are such as are formed by the houses in horary astrology and by the semiares of the planets in nativities.
9. n. In heraldry, the position of an animal with reference to the spectator.
10. To behold; look upon.
11. n. In forestry, the direction toward which a slope faces. The eight main points of the compass, north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, are distinguished in forest description. Also called exposure.
12. n. In logic, the concept of a compound object, or this object itself, resulting from mentally connecting a definite conception to an indefinite or partially indesignate object, the compound being regarded as identical with the previously indefinite object.

Wiktionary

1. n. The way something appears when viewed in a certain manner.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. rare The act of looking; vision; gaze; glance.
2. n. Look, or particular appearance of the face; countenance; mien; air.
3. n. Appearance to the eye or the mind; look; view.
4. n. Position or situation with regard to seeing; that position which enables one to look in a particular direction; position in relation to the points of the compass.
5. n. obsolete Prospect; outlook.
6. n. (Astrol.) The situation of planets or stars with respect to one another, or the angle formed by the rays of light proceeding from them and meeting at the eye; the joint look of planets or stars upon each other or upon the earth.
7. n. (Astrol.) The influence of the stars for good or evil.
8. n. (Aëronautics) A view of a plane from a given direction, usually from above; more exactly, the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current. If an immersed plane meets a current of fluid long side foremost, or in broadside aspect, it sustains more pressure than when placed short side foremost. Hence, long narrow wings are more effective than short broad ones of the same area.
9. v. obsolete To behold; to look at.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a distinct feature or element in a problem
2. n. the feelings expressed on a person's face
3. n. the visual percept of a region
4. n. the beginning or duration or completion or repetition of the action of a verb
5. n. a characteristic to be considered