1. [n]  an appraisal of the state of affairs; "they made an assay of the contents"; "a check on its dependability under stress"
2. [v]  analyze (chemical substances)
3. [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"

ASSAY is a 5 letter word that starts with A.

1. \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.
   

2. \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.
   

3. \As*say"\, v. i.
   To attempt, try, or endeavor. [Archaic. In this sense essay
   is now commonly used.]
         She thrice assayed to speak.             --Dryden.