Dictionary: AS-SART – AS-SAY'ING

a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |

1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220
221222223224225226

AS-SART, n. [Old Fr. assarter, to grub up.]

  1. In ancient laws, the offense of grubbing up trees, and thus of destroying thickets or coverts of a forest. – Spelman. Cowel.
  2. A tree plucked up by the roots; also a piece of land cleared. – Ash.

AS-SART, v.t.

To grub up trees; to commit an assart. – Ashmole.

AS-SAS'SIN, n. [Ar. حَسَّ hassa, to kill.]

One who kills or attempts to kill, by surprise or secret assault. The circumstance of surprise or secresy seems essential to the signification of this word, though it is sometimes used to denote one who takes any advantage, in killing or attempting to murder; as by attacking one when unarmed.

AS-SAS'SIN-ATE, n.

A murder or murderer. [Not used.] – B. Jonson.

AS-SAS'SIN-ATE, v.t.

  1. To kill or attempt to kill by surprise or secret assault; to murder by sudden violence. Assassin as a verb is not now used.
  2. To waylay; to take by treachery. – Milton.

AS-SAS'SIN-A-TED, pp.

Murdered by surprise or secret assault.

AS-SAS'SIN-A-TING, ppr.

Murdering by surprise or secret assault.

AS-SAS-SIN-A'TION, n.

The act of killing or murdering, by surprise or secret assault; murder by violence.

AS-SAS'SIN-A-TOR, n.

An assassin; which see.

AS-SAS'SIN-OUS, a.

Murderous. [Not used.]

AS-SAS'SINS, n.

In Syria, a tribe or clan called Ismaelians, Batanists or Batenians. They originated in Persia about the year 1090; whence a colony migrated and settled on the mountains of Lebanon, and were remarkable for their assassinations. Their religion was a compound of Magianism, Judaism, and Christianity. One article of their creed was, that the Holy Spirit resided in their chief, and that his orders proceeded from God himself. He was called Scheik, and is better known by the denomination of old man of the mountain. This barbarous chieftain and his followers spread terror among nations far and near, for almost two centuries, when the tribe was subdued by Sultan Bibaris. – Encyc.

AS-SA'TION, n. [Fr. from L. assatus.]

A roasting. [Not used.]

AS-SAULT', n. [Fr. assault, now assaut; It. Port. assalto; Sp. asalto; from L. assulto, of ad and salto, to leap, formed on salio, or its root. See Assail. We have the same root in insult and result.]

  1. An attack or violent onset, whether by an individual, a company, or an army. An assault by private persons may be made with or without weapons. An assault by an army is a violent hostile attack; and when made upon a fort or fortified place is called a storm, as opposed to sap or siege.
  2. An attack by hostile words or measures; as, an assault upon the prerogatives of a prince, or upon a constitution of government.
  3. In law, an unlawful setting upon one's person; an attempt or offer to beat another, without touching his person; as by lifting the fist or a cane, in a threatening manner. If the blow aimed takes effect, it is a battery. – Blackstone. Finch.

AS-SAULT', v.t.

  1. To attack or fall upon by violence, or with a hostile intention; as, to assault a man, a house or town.
  2. To invade or fall on with force; as, the cry of war assaults our ears.
  3. To attack by words, arguments or unfriendly measures, with a view to shake, impair or overthrow; as, to assault a character, the laws, or the administration.

AS-SAULT'A-BLE, a.

That may be assaulted. – Williams.

AS-SAULT'ED, pp.

Attacked with force, arms, violence, or hostile views.

AS-SAULT'ER, n.

One who assaults, or violently attacks.

AS-SAULT'ING, ppr.

Attacking with force, or with hostile measures.

AS-SAY', a. [Fr. essai; Sp. ensayo; Port. ensaio; It. saggio, an assay; Fr. essayer, to try; old Fr. essoyer, to endeavor. Kelham's Norm. Dict. It. assaggiare, to try; saggiare, to try, essay; Sp. ensayar, to try; Sw. försökia, to try; Dan. forsöger, to try, examine, endeavor. These words are all from the same root as seek, the radical sense of which is, to follow, to urge, press or strain; Sax. secan, to seek; L. sequor; assequor, to follow, to examine; D. zoeken; G. suchen; Dan. söger; Ir. seichim; It. seguire, Sp. seguir, to follow. Assay and essay are radically one word; but modern usage has appropriated assay to experiments in metallurgy, and essay to intellectual and bodily efforts. Class Sg. See Essay.]

  1. The trial of the goodness, purity, weight, value, &c. of metals or metallic substances. Any operation or experiment for ascertaining the quantity of a precious metal in an ore or mineral. Analysis is a term of more comprehensive import, extending to an examination of the nature and quantities of all parts of the compound. Assaying is called the docimastic art.
  2. In law, an examination of weights and measures by the standard. – Cowel.
  3. Examination; trial; effort; first entrance upon any business; attempt. In these senses, which are found in old authors, now rarely used. [See Essay.]
  4. Value; great purity. [Obs.] – Spenser.

AS-SAY', v.i.

To attempt, try or endeavor. He assayed to go. 1 Sam. xvii. [In this sense essay is now used.]

AS-SAY, v.t.

  1. To try or prove, by examination or experiment, the quantity and purity of metallic substances.
  2. To apply to the touchstone. – Milton.

AS-SAY'-BAL-ANCE, n.

A balance for the trial of the weight and purity of metals.

AS-SAY'ED, pp.

Examined; tested; proved by experiment.

AS-SAY'ER, n.

One who examines metals to find their quantity and purity. An officer of the Mint, whose business is to try the weight and purity of metals.

AS-SAY'ING, ppr.

Trying by some standard; examining by experiment, as metals; proving; attempting.