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.
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 29,166 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.