Chaucer.
AÏslant¶ (?), adv. & a. [Pref. aÏ + slant.] Toward one side; in a slanting direction; obliquely.
[The shaft] drove through his neck aslant.
Dryden.
AÏslant¶, prep. In a slanting direction over; athwart.
There is a willow grows aslant a brook.
Shak.
AÏsleep¶ , a. & adv. [Pref. aÏ + sleep.] 1. In a state of sleep; in sleep; dormant.
Fast asleep the giant lay supine.
Dryden.
By whispering winds soon lulled asleep.
Milton.
2. In the sleep of the grave; dead.
Concerning them which are asleep... sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1 Thess. iv. 13.
3. Numbed, and, usually, tingling.
Udall.
Leaning long upon any part maketh it numb, and, as we call it, asleep.
Bacon.
AÏslope¶ (?), adv. & a. [Pref. aÏ + slope.] Slopingly; aslant; declining from an upright direction; sloping. ½Set them not upright, but aslope.¸
Bacon.
AÏslug¶ (?), adv. [Pref. aÏ + slug to move slowly.] Sluggishly. [Obs.]
Fotherby.
AÏsmear¶ (?), a. [Pref. aÏ + smear.] Smeared over.
Dickens.
As·moÏne¶an (?), a. Of or pertaining to the patriotic Jewish family to which the Maccabees belonged; Maccabean; as, the Asmonean dynasty. [Written also Asmon‘an.]
As·moÏne¶an, n. One of the ÷ family. The Asmoneans were leaders and rulers of the Jews from 168 to 35 b. c.
AÏsoak¶ (?), a. [Pref. aÏ + soak.] Soaking.
AÏso¶maÏtous (?), a. [L. asomatus, Gr. ?; ? priv. + ? body.] Without a material body; incorporeal.
Todd.
As¶oÏnant (?), a. [Pref. aÏ not + sonant.] Not sounding or sounded. [R.]
C. C. Felton.
Asp (?), n. (Bot.) Same as Aspen. ½Trembling poplar or asp.¸
Martyn.
Asp (?), n. [L. aspis, fr. Gr. ?: cf. OF. aspe, F. aspic.] (Zo”l.) A small, hooded, poisonous serpent of Egypt and adjacent countries, whose bite is often fatal. It is the Naja haje. The name is also applied to other poisonous serpents, esp. to Vipera aspis of southern Europe. See Haje.
Ø AsÏpal¶aÏthus (?), n. [L. aspalathus, Gr. ?.] (Bot.) (a) A thorny shrub yielding a fragrant oil. Ecclus. xxiv. 15. (b) A genus of plants of the natural order Leguminos‘. The species are chiefly natives of the Cape of Good Hope.
AsÏpar¶aÏgine (?), n. [Cf. F. asparagine.] (Chem.) A white, nitrogenous, crystallizable substance, C4H8N2O3+H2O, found in many plants, and first obtained from asparagus It is believed to aid in the disposition of nitrogenous matter throughout the plant; Ð called also altheine.
As·paÏrag¶iÏnous (?), a. Pertaining or allied to, or resembling, asparagus; having shoots which are eaten like asparagus; as, asparaginous vegetables.
AsÏpar¶aÏgus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, ?; cf. ? to swell with sap or juice, and Zend ?paregha prong, sprout, Pers. asparag, Lith. spurgas sprout, Skr. sphurj to swell. Perh. the Greek borrowed from the Persian. Cf. Sparrowgrass.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial plants belonging to the natural order Liliace‘, and having erect much branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are sometimes mistaken for leaves. Asparagus racemosus is a shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Specifically: The Asparagus officinalis, a species cultivated in gardens.
2. The young and tender shoots of A. officinalis, which form a valuable and wellÐknown article of food.
µ This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to uneducated people.
÷ beetle (Zo”l.), a small beetle (Crioceris asparagi) injurious to ~.
AsÏpar¶tic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived, asparagine; as, aspartic acid.
As¶pect (?), n. [L. aspectus, fr. aspicere, aspectum, to look at; ad + spicere, specere, to look, akin to E. spy.] 1. The act of looking; vision; gaze; glance. [R.] ½The basilisk killeth by aspect.¸
Bacon.
His aspect was bent on the ground.
Sir W. Scott.
2. Look, or particular appearance of the face; countenance; mien; air. ½Serious in aspect.¸
Dryden.
[Craggs] with aspect open shall erect his head.
Pope.
3. Appearance to the eye or the mind; look; view. ½The aspect of affairs.¸
Macaulay.
The true aspect of a world lying in its rubbish.
T. Burnet.
4. Position or situation with regard to seeing; that position which enables one to look in a particular direction; position in relation to the points of the compass; as, a house has a southern aspect, that is, a position which faces the south.
5. Prospect; outlook. [Obs.]
This town affords a good aspect toward the hill from whence we descended.
Evelyn.
6. (Astrol.) The situation of planets or stars with respect to one another, or the angle formed by the rays of light proceeding from them and meeting at the eye; the joint look of planets or stars upon each other or upon the earth.
Milton.
µ The aspects which two planets can assume are five; sextile, ?, when the planets are 600 apart; quartile, or quadrate, ?, when their distance is 900 or the quarter of a circle; trine, ?, when the distance is 1200; opposition, ?, when the distance is 1800, or half a circle; and conjunction, ?, when they are in the same degree. Astrology taught that the aspects of the planets exerted an influence on human affairs, in some situations for good and in others for evil.
7. (Astrol.) The influence of the stars for good or evil; as, an ill aspect.
Shak.
The astrologers call the evil influences of the stars evil aspects.
Bacon.
÷ of a plane (Geom.), the direction of the plane.
AsÏpect¶ (?), v. t. [L. aspectare, v. intens. of aspicere. See Aspect, n.] To behold; to look at. [Obs.]
AsÏpect¶aÏble (?), a. [L. aspectabilis.] Capable of being; visible. ½The aspectable world.¸ Ray. ½Aspectable stars.¸ Mr. Browning.
AsÏpect¶ant (?), a. (Her.) Facing each other.
AsÏpect¶ed, a. Having an aspect. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
AsÏpec¶tion (?), n. [L. aspectio, fr. aspicere to look at.] The act of viewing; a look. [Obs.]
Asp¶en (?), Asp (?), } n. [AS. ‘sp, ‘ps; akin to OHG. aspa, Icel. ”sp, Dan. ‘sp, Sw. asp, D. esp, G. espe, „spe, aspe; cf. Lettish apsa, Lith. apuszis.] (Bot.) One of several species of poplar bearing this name, especially the Populus tremula, so called from the trembling of its leaves, which move with the slightest impulse of the air.
Asp¶en (?), a. Of or pertaining to the ~, or resembling it; made of ~ wood.
Nor aspen leaves confess the gentlest breeze.
Gay.
As¶per (?), a. [OE. aspre, OF. aspre, F. ƒpre, fr. L. asper rough.] Rough; rugged; harsh; bitter; stern; fierce. [Archaic] ½An asper sound.¸
Bacon.
Ø As¶per (?), n. [L. spiritus asper rough breathing.] (Greek Gram.) The rough breathing; a mark (?) placed over an initial vowel sound or over ? to show that it is aspirated, that is, pronounced with h before it; thus ?, pronounced h?s, ?, pronounced hr¾¶t?r.
Ø As¶per, n. [F. aspre or It. aspro, fr. MGr. ?, ?, white (prob. from the whiteness of new silver coins).] A Turkish money of account (formerly a coin), of little value; the 120th part of a piaster.
As¶perÏate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Asperated; p. pr. & vb. n. Asperating.] [L. asperatus, p. p. of asperare, fr. asper rough.] To make rough or uneven.
The asperated part of its surface.
Boyle.
As·perÏa¶tion (?), n. The act of asperating; a making or becoming rough.
Bailey.
Ø AsÏper¶ges (?), n. [L., Thou shalt sprinkle.] (R. C. Ch.) (a) The service or ceremony of sprinkling with holy water. (b) The brush or instrument used in sprinkling holy water; an aspergill.
As¶perÏgill (?), Ø As·perÏgil¶lum (?), } n. [LL. aspergillum, fr. L. aspergere. See Asperse, v. t. 1. The brush used in the Roman Catholic church for sprinkling holy water on the people. [Also written aspergillus.]
2. (Zo”l.) See Wateringpot shell.
As·perÏgil¶liÏform (?), a. [Aspergillum + Ïform.] (Bot.) Resembling the aspergillum in form; as, an aspergilliform stigma.
Gray.
As·perÏiÏfo¶liÏate (?), As·perÏiÏfo¶liÏous (?), } a. [L. asper rough + folium leaf.] (Bot.) Having rough leaves.
µ By some applied to the natural order now called Boraginace‘ or borageworts.
AsÏper¶iÏty (?), n.; pl. Asperities (?). [L. asperitas, fr. asper rough: cf. F. asp‚rit‚.] 1. Roughness of surface; unevenness; Ð opposed to smoothness. ½The asperities of dry bodies.¸
Boyle.
2. Roughness or harshness of sound; that quality which grates upon the ear; raucity.
3. Roughness to the taste; sourness; tartness.
4. Moral roughness; roughness of manner; severity; crabbedness; harshness; Ð opposed to mildness. ½Asperity of character.¸
Landor.
It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received.
Johnson.
5. Sharpness; disagreeableness; difficulty.
The acclivities and asperities of duty.
Barrow.
Syn. - Acrimony; moroseness; crabbedness; harshness; sourness; tartness. See Acrimony.
AÏsper¶maÏtous (?), a. [Gr. ? priv. + ?, ?, seed.] (Bot.) Aspermous.
AÏsper¶mous , a. [Gr. ?; ? priv. + ? seed.] (Bot.) Destitute of seeds; aspermatous.
AÏsperne¶ (?), v. t. [L. aspernari; a (ab) + spernari.] To spurn; to despise. [Obs.]
Sir T. More.
As¶perÏous (?), a. [See Asper, a.] Rough; uneven.
Boyle.
AsÏperse¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aspersed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Aspersing.] [L. aspersus, p. p. of aspergere to scatter, sprinkle; ad + spargere to strew. See Sparse.] 1. To sprinkle, as water or dust, upon anybody or anything, or to besprinkle any one with a liquid or with dust.
Heywood.
2. To bespatter with foul reports or false and injurious charges; to tarnish in point of reputation or good name; to slander or calumniate; as, to asperse a poet or his writings; to asperse a man's character.
With blackest crimes aspersed.
Cowper.
Syn. - To slander; defame; detract from; calumniate; vilify. Ð To Asperse, Defame, Slander, Calumniate. These words have in common the idea of falsely assailing the character of another. To asperse is figuratively to cast upon a character hitherto unsullied the imputation of blemishes or faults which render it offensive or loathsome. To defame is to detract from a man's honor and reputation by charges calculated to load him with infamy. Slander (etymologically the same as scandal) and calumniate, from the Latin, have in common the sense of circulating reports to a man's injury from unworthy or malicious motives. Men asperse their neighbors by malignant insinuations; they defame by advancing charges to blacken or sully their fair fame; they slander or calumniate by spreading injurious reports which are false, or by magnifying slight faults into serious errors or crimes.
AsÏpersed¶ (?), a. 1. (Her.) Having an indefinite number of small charges scattered or strewed over the surface.
Cussans.
2. Bespattered; slandered; calumniated.
Motley.
AsÏpers¶er (?), n. One who asperses; especially, one who vilifies another.
AsÏper¶sion (?), n. [L. aspersio, fr. aspergere: cf. F. aspersion.] 1. A sprinkling, as with water or dust, in a literal sense.
Behold an immersion, not and aspersion.
Jer. Taylor.
2. The spreading of calumniations reports or charges which tarnish reputation, like the bespattering of a body with foul water; calumny.
Every candid critic would be ashamed to cast wholesale aspersions on the entire body of professional teachers.
Grote.
Who would by base aspersions blot thy virtue.
Dryden.
AsÏpers¶ive (?), a. Tending to asperse; defamatory; slanderous. Ð AsÏpers¶iveÏly, adv.
Ø As·per·soir¶ (?), n. [F.] An aspergill.
Ø As·perÏso¶riÏum (?), n.; pl. Aspersoria (?). [LL. See Asperse.] 1. The stoup, basin, or other vessel for holy water in Roman Catholic churches.
2. A brush for sprinkling holy water; an aspergill.
As¶phalt (?), AsÏphal¶tum (?), } n. [Gr. ?, of eastern origin: cf. F. asphalte.] 1. Mineral pitch, Jews' pitch, or compact native bitumen. It is brittle, of a black or brown color and high luster on a surface of fracture; it melts and burns when heated, leaving no residue. It occurs on the surface and shores of the Dead Sea, which is therefore called Asphaltites, or the Asphaltic Lake. It is found also in many parts of Asia, Europe, and America. See Bitumen.
2. A composition of bitumen, pitch, lime, and gravel, used for forming pavements, and as a waterÐproof cement for bridges, roofs, etc.; asphaltic cement. Artificial asphalt is prepared from coal tar, lime, sand, etc.
Asphalt stone, Asphalt rock, a limestone found impregnated with asphalt.
As¶phalt, v. t. To cover with ~; as, to asphalt a roof; asphalted streets.
Ø As·phalte¶ (?), n. [F. See Asphalt.] Asphaltic mastic or cement. See Asphalt, 2.
AsÏphal¶tic (?), a. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing, asphalt; bituminous. ½Asphaltic pool.¸ ½Asphaltic slime.¸
Milton.
AsÏphal¶tite (?), a. Asphaltic.
AsÏphal¶tite (?), a. Asphaltic.
Bryant.
Ø AsÏphal¶tus , n. See Asphalt.
As¶phoÏdel (?), n. [L. asphodelus, Gr. ?. See Daffodil.] (Bot.) A general name for a plant of the genus Asphodelus. The asphodels are hardy perennial plants, several species of which are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers.
µ The name is also popularly given to species of other genera. The asphodel of the early English and French poets was the daffodil. The asphodel of the Greek poets is supposed to be the Narcissus poeticus.
Dr. Prior.
Pansies, and violets, and asphodel.
Milton.
AsÏphyc¶tic (?), a. Pertaining to asphyxia.
Ø AsÏphyx¶iÏa (?), AsÏphyx¶y (?), } n. [NL. asphyxia, fr. Gr. ?; ? priv. + ? to throb, beat.] (Med.) Apparent death, or suspended animation; the condition which results from interruption of respiration, as in suffocation or drowning, or the inhalation of irrespirable gases.
AsÏphyx¶iÏal (?), a. Of or relating to asphyxia; as, asphyxial phenomena.
AsÏphyx¶iÏate (?), v. t. To bring to a state of asphyxia; to suffocate. [Used commonly in the past pple.]
AsÏphyx¶iÏa·ted (?), AsÏphyx¶ied (?), p. p. In a state of asphyxia; suffocated.
AsÏphyx·iÏa¶tion (?), n. The act of causing asphyxia; a state of asphyxia.
As¶pic (?), n. [F. See Asp.] 1. The venomous asp. [Chiefly poetic]
Shak. Tennyson.
2. A piece of ordnance carrying a 12 pound shot. [Obs.]
As¶pic, n. [F., a corrupt. of spic (OF. espi, F. ‚pi), L. spica (spicum, spicus), ear, spike. See Spike.] A European species of lavender (Lavandula spica), which produces a volatile oil. See Spike.
As¶pic, n. [F., prob. fr. aspic an asp.] A savory meat jelly containing portions of fowl, game, fish, hard boiled eggs, etc.
Thackeray.
Ø As·piÏdoÏbran¶chiÏa (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ?, ?, shield + ? gills.] (Zo”l.) A group of Gastropoda, with limpetlike shells, including the abalone shells and keyhole limpets.
AsÏpir¶ant (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. aspirant, p. pr. of aspirer. See Aspire.] Aspiring.
AsÏpir¶ant, n. [Cf. F. aspirant.] One who aspires; one who eagerly seeks some high position or object of attainment.
In consequence of the resignations... the way to greatness was left clear to a new set of aspirants.
Macaulay.
As¶piÏrate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aspirated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Aspirating (?).] [L. aspiratus, p. p. of aspirare to breathe toward or upon, to add the breathing h; ad + spirare to breathe, blow. Cf. Aspire.] To [pronounce with a breathing, an ~, or an h sound; as, we aspirate the words horse and house; to aspirate a vowel or a liquid consonant.
As¶piÏrate (?), n. 1. A sound consisting of, or characterized by, a breath like the sound of h; the breathing h or a character representing such a sound; an aspirated sound.
<-- p. 90 -->
2. A mark of aspiration (?) used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing.
Bentley.
3. An elementary sound produced by the breath alone; a surd, or nonvocal consonant; as, f, th in thin, etc.
As¶piÏrate (?), As¶piÏra¶ted (?), } a. [L. aspiratus, p. p.] Pronounced with the h sound or with audible breath.
But yet they are not aspirate, i. e., with such an aspiration as h.
Holder.
As·piÏra¶tion (?), n. [L. aspiratio, fr. aspirare: cf. F. aspiration.] 1. The act of aspirating; the pronunciation of a letter with a full or strong emission of breath; an aspirated sound.
If aspiration be defined to be an impetus of breathing.
Wilkins.
2. The act of breathing; a breath; an inspiration.
3. The act of aspiring of a ardently desiring; strong wish; high desire. ½Aspirations after virtue.¸
Johnson.
Vague aspiration after military renown.
Prescott.
As¶piÏra·tor (?), n. 1. (Chem.) An apparatus for passing air or gases through or over certain liquids or solids, or for exhausting a closed vessel, by means of suction.
2. (Med.) An instrument for the evacuation of the fluid contents of tumors or collections of blood.
AsÏpir¶aÏtoÏry (?), a. Of or pertaining to breathing; suited to the inhaling of air
AsÏpire¶ (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Aspired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Aspiring.] [F. aspirer, L. aspirare. See Aspirate, v. t.] 1. To desire with eagerness; to seek to attain something high or great; to pant; to long; Ð followed by to or after, and rarely by at; as, to aspire to a crown; to aspire after immorality.
Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell;
Aspiring to be angels, men rebel.
Pope.
2. To rise; to ascend; to tower; to soar.
My own breath still foments the fire,
Which flames as high as fancy can aspire.
Waller.
AsÏpire¶, v. t. To ~ to; to long for; to try to reach; to mount to. [Obs.]
That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds.
Shak.
AsÏpire¶, n. Aspiration. [Obs.]
Chapman.
AsÏpire¶ment (?), n. Aspiration. [Obs.]
AsÏpir¶er (?), n. One who aspires.
AsÏpir¶ing, a. That aspires; as, an Aspiring mind. Ð AsÏpir¶ingÏly, adv. Ð AsÏpir¶ingÏness, n.
Asp¶ish (?), a. Pertaining to, or like, an asp.
As·porÏta¶tion (?), n. [L. asportatio, fr. asportare to carry away; abs = ab + portare to bear, carry.] (Law) The felonious removal of goods from the place where they were deposited.
µ It is adjudged to be larceny, though the goods are not carried from the house or apartment.
Blackstone.
AÏsprawl¶ (?), adv. & a. Sprawling.
AÏsquat¶ (?), adv. & a. Squatting.
AÏsquint¶ (?), adv. [Cf. Askant, Squint.] With the eye directed to one side; not in the straight line of vision; obliquely; awry, so as to see distortedly; as, to look asquint.
Ass (?), n. [OE. asse, AS. assa; akin to Icel. asni, W. asen, asyn, L. asinus, dim. aselus, Gr. ?; also to AS. esol, OHG. esil, G. esel, Goth. asilus, Dan. ‘sel, Lith. asilas, Bohem. osel, Pol. osiel. The word is prob. of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. ath?n she ~. Cf. Ease.] 1. (Zo”l.) A quadruped of the genus Equus (E. asinus), smaller than the horse, and having a peculiarly harsh bray and long ears. The tame or domestic ~ is patient, slow, and sureÐfooted, and has become the type of obstinacy and stupidity. There are several species of wild asses which are swiftÐfooted.
2. A dull, heavy, stupid fellow; a dolt.
Shak.
Asses' Bridge. [L. pons asinorum.] The fifth proposition of the first book of Euclid, ½The angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are equal to one another.¸ [Sportive] ½A schoolboy, stammering out his Asses' Bridge.¸ F. Harrison. Ð To make an ~ of one's self, to do or say something very foolish or absurd.
As·saÏf?t¶iÏda (?), n. Same as Asafetida.
As¶saÏgai (?), As¶seÏgai (?), n. [Pg. azagaia, Sp. azagaya, fr. a Berber word. Cf. Lancegay.] A spear used by tribes in South Africa as a missile and for stabbing, a kind of light javelin.
Ø AsÏsa¶i (?). [It., fr. L. ad + satis enough. See Assets.] (Mus.) A direction equiv?lent to very; as, adagio assai, very slow.
AsÏsail¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Assailing.] [OE. assailen, asailen, OF. asaillir, assailler, F. assaillir; ? (L. ad) + saillir to burst out, project, fr. L. salire to leap, spring; cf. L. assilire to leap or spring upon. See Sally.] 1. To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail ? man with blows; to assail a city with artillery.
No rude noise mine ears assailing.
Cowper.
No storm can now assail
The charm he wears within.
Keble.
2. To encounter or meet purposely with the v??? of ??stering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like.
The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail.
Pope.
3. To attack morally, or with a view to produce ?anges in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like.
The papal authority... assailed.
Hallam.
They assailed him with keen invective; they assailed him with still keener irony.
Macaulay.
Syn. - To attack; assault; invade; encounter; fall upon. See Attack.
AsÏsail¶aÏble (?), a. Capable of being assailed.
AsÏsail¶ant (?), a. [F. assaillant, p. pr. of assaillir.] Assailing; attacking.
Milton.
AsÏsail¶ant, n. [F. assaillant.] One who, or that which, assails, attacks, or assaults; an assailer.
An assailant of the church.
Macaulay.
AsÏsail¶er (?), n. One who assails.
AsÏsail¶ment (?), n. The act or power of assailing; attack; assault. [R.]
His most frequent assailment was the headache.
Johnson.
As¶saÏmar (?), n. [L. assare to roast + amarus, bitter.] (Chem.) The peculiar bitter substance, soft or liquid, and of a yellow color, produced when meat, bread, gum, sugar, starch, and the like, are roasted till they turn brown.
As·samÏese¶ (?), a. Of or pertaining to Assam, a province of British India, or to its inhabitants. Ð n. sing. & pl. A native or natives of Assam.
Ø As·saÏpan¶ (?), Ø As·saÏpan¶ic (?), n. [Prob. Indian name.] (Zo”l.) The American flying squirrel (Pteromys volucella).
AsÏsart¶ , n. [OF. essart the grubbing up of trees, fr. essarter to grub up or clear ground of bushes, shrubs, trees, etc., fr. LL. exartum, exartare, for exsaritare; L. ex + sarire, sarrire, saritum, to hoe, weed.] 1. (Old Law) The act or offense of grubbing up trees and bushes, and thus destroying the tickets or coverts of a forest.
Spelman. Cowell.
2. A piece of land cleared of trees and bushes, and fitted for cultivation; a clearing.
Ash.
÷ land, forest land cleared of woods and brush.
AsÏsart¶, v. t. To grub up, as trees; to commit an ~ upon; as, to assart land or trees.
Ashmole.
AsÏsas¶sin (?), n. [F. (cf. It. assassino), fr. Ar. ?hashishin one who has drunk of the hashish. Under its influence the Assassins of the East, followers of the Shaikh alÐJabal (Old Man of the Mountain), were said to commit the murders required by their chief.] One who kills, or attempts to kill, by surprise or secret assault; one who treacherously murders any one unprepared for defense.
AsÏsas¶sin, v. t. To assassinate. [Obs.]
Stillingfleet.
AsÏsas¶sinÏate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assassinated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Assassinating (?).] [LL. assassinatus, p. p. of assassinare.] 1. To kill by surprise or secret assault; to murder by treacherous violence.
Help, neighbors, my house is broken open by force, and I am ravished, and like to be assassinated.
Dryden.
2. To assail with murderous intent; hence, by extended meaning, to maltreat exceedingly. [Archaic]
Your rhymes assassinate our fame.
Dryden.
Such usage as your honorable lords
Afford me, assassinated and betrayed.
Milton.
Syn. - To kill; murder; slay. See Kill.
AsÏsas¶sinÏate (?), n. [F. assassinat.] 1. An assassination, murder, or murderous assault. [Obs.]
If i had made an assassinate upon your father.
B. Jonson.
2. An assassin. [Obs.]
Dryden.
AsÏsas·siÏna¶tion (?), n. The act of assassinating; a killing by treacherous violence.
AsÏsas¶siÏna·tor (?), n. An assassin.
AsÏsas¶sinÏous (?), a. Murderous.
Milton.
AsÏsas¶tion (?), n. [F., fr. LL. assatio, fr. L. assare to roast.] Roasting. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
AsÏsault¶ (?), n. [OE. asaut, assaut, OF. assaut, asalt, F. assaut, LL. assaltus; L. ad + saltus a leaping, a springing, salire to leap. See Assail.] 1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.
The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault.
Prescott.
Unshaken bears the assault
Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.
Wordsworth.
2. A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.
Clarendon.
3. (Law) An apparently violent attempt, or ? offer with force or violence, to do hurt to another; an attempt or offer to beat another, accompanied by a degree of violence, but without touching his person, as by lifting the fist, or a cane, in a threatening manner, or by striking at him, and missing him. If the blow aimed takes effect, it is a battery.
Blackstone. Wharton.
Practically, however, the word assault is used to include the battery.
Mozley & W.
Syn. - Attack; invasion; incursion; descent; onset; onslaught; charge; storm.
AsÏsault¶, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assaulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Assaulting.] From Assault, n.: cf. OF. assaulter, LL. assaltare.] 1. To make an ~ upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical violence or menaces.
Insnared, assaulted, overcome, led bound.
Milton.
2. To attack with moral means, or with a view of producing moral effects; to attack by words, arguments, or unfriendly measures; to assail; as, to assault a reputation or an administration.
Before the gates, the cries of babes newborn,...
Assault his ears.
Dryden.
µ In the latter sense, assail is more common.
Syn. - To attack; assail; invade; encounter; storm; charge. See Attack.
AsÏsaut¶aÏble (?), a. Capable of being assaulted.
AsÏsault¶er (?), n. One who assaults, or violently attacks; an assailant.
E. Hall.
AsÏsay¶ (?), 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.
[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.]
µ Assay is used adjectively or as the first part of a compound; as, assay balance, assay furnace.
÷ master, an officer who assays or tests gold or silver coin or bullion. Ð ÷ ton, a weight of 29.166% grams.
AsÏsay¶, 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]
ToÐnight 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.
AsÏsay¶, v. i. To attempt, try, or endeavor. [Archaic. In this sense essay is now commonly used.]
She thrice assayed to speak.
Dryden.
AsÏsay¶aÏble (?), a. That may be assayed.
AsÏsay¶er , n. One who assays. Specifically: One who examines metallic ores or compounds, for the purpose of determining the amount of any particular metal in the same, especially of gold or silver.
AsÏsay¶ing, n. The act or process of testing, esp. of analyzing or examining metals and ores, to determine the proportion of pure metal.
Ø Asse (?), n. (Zo”l.) A small foxlike animal (Vulpes cama) of South Africa, valued for its fur.
As·seÏcuÏra¶tion (?), n. [LL. assecuratio, fr. assecurare.] Assurance; certainty. [Obs.]
As·seÏcure¶ (?), v. t. [LL. assecurare.] To make sure or safe; to assure. [Obs.]
Hooker.
As·seÏcu¶tion (?), n. [F. ass‚cution, fr. L. assequi to obtain; ad + sequi to follow.] An obtaining or acquiring. [Obs.]
Ayliffe.
As¶seÏgai (?), n. Same as Assagai.
AsÏsem¶blage , n. [Cf. F. assemblage. See Assemble.] 1. The act of assembling, or the state o? being; association.
In sweet assemblage every blooming grace.
Fen???.
2. A collection of individuals, or of individuals, or of particular things; as, a political assemblage; an assemblage of ideas.
Syn. - Company; group; collection; concourse; gathering; meeting; convention. Assemblage, Assembly. An assembly consists only of persons; an assemblage may be composed of things as well as persons, as, an assemblage of incoherent objects. Nor is every assemblage of persons an assembly; since the latter term denotes a body who have met, and are acting, in concert for some common end, such as to hear, to deliberate, to unite in music, dancing, etc. An assemblage of skaters on a lake, or of horse jockeys at a race course, is not an assembly, but might be turned into one by collecting into a body with a view to discuss and decide as to some object of common interest.
AsÏsem¶blance , n. [Cf. OF. assemblance.] 1. Resemblance; likeness; appearance. [Obs.]
Care I for the... stature, bulk, and big assemblance of a man ? Give me the spirit.
Shak.
2. An assembling; assemblage. [Obs.]
To weete [know] the cause of their assemblance.
Spenser.
AsÏsem¶ble (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assembled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Assembling (?).] [F. assembler, fr. LL. assimulare to bring together to collect; L. ad + simul together; akin to similis like, Gr. ? at the same time, and E. same. Cf. Assimilate, Same.] To collect into one place or body; to bring or call together; to convene; to congregate.
Thither he assembled all his train.
Milton.
All the men of Israel assembled themselves.
1 Kings viii. 2.
AsÏsem¶ble, v. i. To meet or come together, as a number of individuals; to convene; to congregate.
Dryden.
The Parliament assembled in November.
W. Massey.
AsÏsem¶ble, v. i. To liken; to compare. [Obs.]
Bribes may be assembled to pitch.
Latimer.
AsÏsem¶bler (?), n. One who assembles a number of individuals; also, one of a number assembled.
AsÏsem¶bly (?), n.; pl. Assemblies (?). [F. assembl‚e, fr. assembler. See Assemble.] 1. A company of persons collected together in one place, and usually for some common purpose, esp. for deliberation and legislation, for worship, or for social entertainment.
2. A collection of inanimate objects. [Obs.]
Howell.
3. (Mil.) A beat of the drum or sound of the bugle as a signal to troops to assemble.
µ In some of the United States, the legislature, or the popular branch of it, is called the Assembly, or the General Assembly. In the Presbyterian Church, the General Assembly is the highest ecclesiastical tribunal, composed of ministers and ruling elders delegated from each presbytery; as, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, or of Scotland.
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