Emily Dickinson Lexicon

assist (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [Fr. < L. ad, to + sistěre, take one's stand.] (webplay: effort, lend, support).

1. Help; aid; benefit; succor; supply relief to.
2. Accompany; attend; escort; stand by.
3. Support; hold up.

assistance, n. [see assist, v.] (webplay: lend, stand up, stand by, succor).

Help; aid; support.

associate (-s), v. [L. ad-sociāre, join together with < ad-, to + soius, sharing, united, allied.]

1. Mingle; fraternize; mix with others; act as part of a system.
2. Keep company; relate together; act as an accessory.

association, n. [see associate, v.] (webplay: matters, mind).

Communion; companionship; affinity; relationship; friendship; fellowship; rapport; unity of feelings and thoughts; [fig.] harmony; accord; peace.

assuage (-s), v. [OFr < L. ad-, to + suāvis, sweet, agreeable.] (webplay: pain).

Soothe; ease; relieve; alleviate; mitigate; lessen; appease; anoint; attend to; treat with medicine.

assume (-d, -ing, -s), v. [L ad-, to + sūměre, take.] (webplay: claims, law, presumption, take).

1. Believe; posit; infer; judge; appraise; evaluate; suppose as fact.
2. Usurp; confiscate; overtake; expropriate; use without asking the owner; adopt as one's own without permission.
3. Shoulder; support; sustain; carry responsibility for.
4. Affect; accept; pick up; put on; choose to go with; [fig.] clothe oneself with.

assumption, adj. [see assume, v.]

Winged; designed for flight; devised for ascent to heaven; used for going up into the sky; [fig.] ceremonial; festive; miraculous; transforming; [word play] investiture; clothing taken upon oneself; [word play] consequential; important; significant; designed for graduation to a higher level.

assure (-d), v. [L. ad-, to + sēcūrus, safe; see secure, n. and sure, adj.] (webplay: conviction, persuasion; trusted).

1. Know; understand; be sure; be certain.
2. Comfort; encourage; hearten; give confidence.
3. Confirm; guarantee; promise; pronounce; testify; witness; [word play] give confidence; provide a sure knowledge of one's salvation.

assured, verbal adj. [see assure, v.]

Certain; not doubting that.

assuredly, adv. [see assure, v.]

Certainly; surely; undoubtably.