aspersion

Noun

• the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare)

• an abusive attack on a person's character or good name

• a disparaging remark
  • in the 19th century any reference to female sexuality was considered a vile aspersion
    
  • it is difficult for a woman to understand a man's sensitivity to any slur on his virility
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  sprinkling , calumny , slander , defamation , denigration , slur