asta
pole; auction
noun AH-stah Less Common
Origin: Latin hasta (spear, shaft)
Also means
flagpole
Usage Note
Asta covers two distinct meanings: a long pole or shaft (l'asta della bandiera = the flagpole) and a public auction (vendere all'asta). The plural is regular le aste. In the auction sense it often appears in the phrase all'asta (at auction).
Examples
"Il quadro è stato venduto all'asta."
Natural Translation
The painting was sold at auction.
Related Words
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