Definitions for: Assay


[n] an appraisal of the state of affairs; "they made an assay of the contents"; "a check on its dependability under stress"
[v] analyze (chemical substances)
[v] make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"



Webster (1913) Definition: As*say", n. [OF. asai, essai, trial, F. essa. See
Essay, n.]
1. Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more
easy in the assay than it now seems at distance.
--Milton.

2. Examination and determination; test; as, an assay of bread
or wine. [Obs.]

This can not be, by no assay of reason. --Shak.

3. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk;
hardship; state of being tried. [Obs.]

Through many hard assays which did betide.
--Spenser.

4. Tested purity or value. [Obs.]

With gold and pearl of rich assay. --Spenser.

5. (Metallurgy) The act or process of ascertaining the
proportion of a particular metal in an ore or alloy;
especially, the determination of the proportion of gold or
silver in bullion or coin.

6. The alloy or metal to be assayed. --Ure.

Usage: Assay and essay are radically the same word; but
modern usage has appropriated assay chiefly to
experiments in metallurgy, and essay to intellectual
and bodily efforts. See Essay.

Note: Assay is used adjectively or as the first part of a
compound; as, assay balance, assay furnace.

Assay master, an officer who assays or tests gold or silver
coin or bullion.

Assay ton, a weight of 29,1662/3 grams.


As*say", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assayed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Assaying.] [OF. asaier, essaier, F. essayer, fr. essai. See
Assay, n., Essay, v.]
1. To try; to attempt; to apply. [Obs. or Archaic]

To-night let us assay our plot. --Shak.

Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed.
--Milton.

2. To affect. [Obs.]

When the heart is ill assayed. --Spenser.

3. To try tasting, as food or drink. [Obs.]

4. To subject, as an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound,
to chemical or metallurgical examination, in order to
determine the amount of a particular metal contained in
it, or to ascertain its composition.


As*say", v. i.
To attempt, try, or endeavor. [Archaic. In this sense essay
is now commonly used.]

She thrice assayed to speak. --Dryden.

Synonyms: attempt, check, essay, seek, try

See Also: act, adventure, analyse, analyze, Apgar score, appraisal, assessment, bioassay, bioassay, canvass, chance, diagnostic assay, diagnostic test, endeavor, endeavour, examine, examine, fight, gamble, give it a try, give it a whirl, grope, hazard, lay on the line, move, paternity test, pick up the gauntlet, pregnancy test, prove, put on the line, risk, run a risk, Snellen test, stress test, strive, struggle, study, take a chance, take a dare, take chances, test, test, try out

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